Second half helps Mineola pull away

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 1/28/21

Sparked by Dawson Pendergass in the third quarter and a tough second half defense, the Mineola Yellowjackets pulled away from Quitman last Tuesday night to record a 62-35 District 13-3A win. The …

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Second half helps Mineola pull away

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Sparked by Dawson Pendergass in the third quarter and a tough second half defense, the Mineola Yellowjackets pulled away from Quitman last Tuesday night to record a 62-35 District 13-3A win. The Jacket defense was the key to the game, holding Quitman to just 13 second-half points.

The teams battled in the first half. After a slow first quarter which found Mineola ahead 8-7, the teams picked up offensively in the second quarter. The Jackets’ Jonah Fischer played a steady first half, scoring eight of the Jackets’ points, leading Mineola to a 26-22 first half lead. 

The game opened with Pendergrass and Quitman’s Landon Richey trading early buckets and the score stood 2-2 until Pendergrass and Bulldog Aiden Corrior both made shots making it 4-4. After Mineola’s Aiden Steward hit a pair of free throws and Richey made a put back on a missed Quitman shot, the score stood at 8-7 with Mineola leading after the first quarter. 

The second quarter showed more of the tough defense by both teams as Fischer’s six points in the quarter sparked the Jackets. A Pendergrass bucket gave Mineola a 19-12 lead, which would be the largest lead of the half. Quitman came back on scores by Corrior and Richey along with a pair of free throws by Levi Thompson to cut the lead to 19-18. A Thompson bucket with 2:18 to go in the half gave Quitman its only lead of the game at 20-19. 

Mineola’s Conner Gibson hit a pair of charity tosses with just over two minutes in the half to make it a 21-20 Jacket advantage, and the home team never lost the lead the rest of the game. Mineola’s Andrew Stinchfield hit a long three-point shot and Fischer’s two free throws left it a 26-22 Jacket lead at the half.

The second half was a totally different game as Mineola dominated from the opening possession of the third quarter. Just as he has on the gridiron, Pendergrass made his presence known by taking over the game. The talented sophomore hit for 10 of Mineola’s 15 points in the quarter, and a tough Yellowjacket defense held Quitman to just six points. The score going into the final frame had Mineola leading 41-28. 

The Jacket’s steamrolled through the final quarter scoring 21 points to just seven for the Bulldogs. Pendergrass added six more and Steward, who started for Quitman as a freshman, hit for seven points in the quarter. T.J. Moreland added six points in the quarter.

Pendergrass was a force at both ends of the court, scoring 26 points and making numerous defensive stops, but he had plenty of help. The Jackets had three more players in double figures with Moreland hitting for 13 points, Steward 11 and Fischer 10. It was a great all around team win for Mineola.

For the Bulldogs, Richey had 10 points, Corrior and Thompson nine each with Jack Tannebaum adding five.