Sectional here, and Panthers try to beat North again

By Rex Kirts

On Jan. 7 South hosted North and won a convincing 86-55 regular season victory.
Sure, that counts. It helped South go on to win the Conference Indiana championship and claim its 10th straight win in the city series.
It won't county for nearly as much, however, if the Panthers don't back it up with another victory in Friday's sectional semifinals in the Panther gym.
South has won the last two sectionals and five of the last six.
THE PANTHERS come in having already accomplished a great deal, posting a rare 20 wins in the regular season. They are 20-2 with a six-game winning streak. North is 12-8.
Neither team comes in hot.
South struggled in two of its last three games, barely beating teams with losing records, Perry Meridian and Decatur Central, sandwiched around a significant win over LaPorte LaLumiere. They trailed Decatur by 10 points with four minutes to go before scratching for a 65-63 triumph. North has lost two of its last three, like South coming on the road. The last game was a 71-46 defeat at New Albany.
South starts an all-senior lineup of Dee Davis on the point, Spencer Turner and Ben Stowell on the wings and Joey Forney and Desmond Marks inside.
DAVIS LEADS the team in scoring with a 22-point average and assists and steals. Turner averages 16.4 points, Forney 9.7, Stowell 8.9 and Marks 8.3. Marks is the leading rebounder with a 6.4 average.
First off the bench for coach J.R. Holmes' Panthers are juniors Michael Bower and Trae Washington and senior Alex Forney.
The winner of the city rematch plays for the sectional title Saturday night against the winner of Friday's other semifinals, Columbus North vgersus Columbus East. East upset East Central in the tourney opener Tuesday.