Prep Roundup: Gents top Panthers for third straight victory

PINE PRAIRIE – After a rough start to the season, the Crowley Gents seem to be getting their act together .
The Gents (5-11) picked up their third straight victory on Friday with a 68-59 victory over Pine Prairie, avenging a 51-47 setback to the Panthers back on Dec. 7.
On Friday, it was James Collins and Zuri Poullard who gave the Gents the spark they needed by combining for 49 points in the victory.
The duo scored 11 of the Gents’ 15 points in the opening frame to help the guests take a slim 15-13 advantage.
Collins added 10 more points in the second quarter during a 20-point outburst for the Gents that gave them an 11-point edge (35-24) entering the break.
Poullard got going again in the third quarter with six points and Omar Butler had four. Camron Scott added a big 3-pointer as well to help the Gents take a 10-point cushion (50-40) into the final stanza.
Collins and Poullard took over in the final frame and combined for 17 of the Gents final 18 points to secure the victory.
Collins finished with a team-high 25 points and Poullard had 24.
In addition, Butler added seven points, Scott scored five, Trevonta Ben had four and Floyd Flugence finished with three.
Crowley returns to action this week with a pair of games against Class 4A competition. The Gents will travel to Lafayette tonight to take on Division II’s No. 2-ranked and four-time defending state champion St. Thomas More before hosting Class 4A’s No. 17-ranked Rayne Wolves on Friday.
Fairview sweeps Midland
MIDLAND – The Fairview Panthers made a clean sweep of Midland on Friday with a pair of varsity victories.
The Lady Panthers cruised to a 73-45 victory in the girls game and the guests had to hold on for a 72-69 victory in the boys contest.
In the girls game, Class B’s top-ranked Lady Panthers blew open a tight game over the middle frames by outscoring the Lady Rebels 42-17 to take a commanding 58-27 lead heading into the final stanza.
The Lady Rebels outscored the Lady Rebels 18-15 in the final quarter.
In all, the Lady Rebels turned the ball over 27 times in the loss.
Fairview, who has won 15 straight games, improved to 25-4 with the victory.
The Lady Rebels, who host Bell City tonight at 6 o’clock in their District 7-B opener, fell to 14-9.
Gracie Miller and Myra Carlson paced the Lady Rebels with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Dai’Ja-Lee Leblanc followed with eight points, Caitlyn Boudreaux added six and Macy Shamsie, Marlie Boudreaux and Holi Myers each had two.
Rylee Cloud and Ella Reeves each scored 21 points for the Lady Panthers.
The nightcap was much closer with the Rebels leading by as many as seven early in the third quarter.
The Rebels, who fell to 7-16, were outscored 23-13 in the third quarter and trailed by as many as 11 in the final period before rallying late.
The Panthers went 8-for-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch to hold on for the victory despite a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Midland’s J’Stan Keller.
Maddox Hanks scored a team-high 23 points for the Rebels. Anthony Blunt followed with 15 points, Keller and Kayden Bourque each added 13 points and Zach Baker finished with five.
The Panthers were led by Dalt Goode and Landon Strother with 26 and 21 points, respectively.