Panthers shoot well, play tough at unbeaten Terre Haute North

By Rex Kirts

In the category of some wins are bigger than others, count South's 70-60 win Saturday at Terre Haute North.
Shooting well and playing tough all around, the Panthers (5-0) defeated a previously unbeaten team on the road. It was a weekend back-to-back win, too, following Friday's draining victory against Southport.
It was a well-played game by both teams in a good atmosphere, with a big crowd.
"It was a big team win," said senior forward Joey Forney. "Everyone contributed. They tried to deny Spencer (Turner) and Dee (Davis), and everyone else stepped up. That's why we won."
"We played together as a team," said senior guard Ben Stowell, "and people stepped up at the right times and completed the assignments the coaches gave them."
THE FINAL SCORE shows this game was won in the first few minutes. South jumped out to a 10-2 lead right away, and the action stayed right around that margin the rest of the way. Terre Haute would get hot, primarily from 3-point range, and South would counter with a variety of successful moves.
It was exciting to see the Panthers' adjustments. North played good defense early, but once the Panthers found out how to attack it they cut the Patriots up pretty good with a lot of penetration, both with passes and the dribble.
"We played our best game for all four quarters, our most consistent for four quarters," South coach J.R. Holmes said. "We had both teams for nine errors (turnovers), and that's a great high school game. That's very rare, with as much intensity as there was.
I was pleased, for this early in the seasson, on the road. And we were out-sized. I thought our kids fought them right down the line.
"WE HAD FOUR in double figures and one with nine. That's a good, solid effort.
"It was a good game for us."
Shooting was a big plus. The Panthers hit 56 per cent, their best of the season. They were .500 on 3-pointers, 8 of 16, and needed it because North drained 11 of 23.
South's balance was its best of the year. Davis continued his eye-candy mastery of the sport with 22 points, Desmond Marks had 13 and nine rebounds, Turner 12,Stowell 10 and Forney 9.
Shots at the buzzer gave South a big lift twice, by Davis at the half after he stripped 6-8 Justin Gant and hit a five-footer and by Stowell with a 3 at the end of the third quarter.
Marks is becoming a key to this team's success. The senior center, who can step out and hit 3s, has had double doubles or near them in points and rebounds the last three games.
THE PANTHERS have another outstanding doubleheader scheduled next weekend, traveling to Lawrence Central on Friday for a Conference Indiana conteste and hosting Jeffersonville on Saturday.
It was Jeffersonville that ruined South's 23-1 season last year in the regional championship. The loss ended the Panthers' 49-game winning streak, which is second best in Indiana history, and their hope of back-to-back unbeaten state championship seasons.