The 2004 Brookhaven Invitational Basketball Tournament got underway Monday afternoon in Sinclair Gym, with four first-roundmatchups on the menu.

Hinds AHS and Crystal Springs came away with doubleheader sweepsover Tylertown and Brookhaven, respectively. The Hinds AHS girlsdefeated the Lady Chiefs 63-47, while the Hinds AHS boys got by theChiefs 63-55. In the nightcaps, the Lady Tigers squeaked by the OleBrook girls 49-45, and the Crystal Springs boys pulled away fromBrookhaven 73-62.

Hinds AHS advances to the semifinals Thursday at 4 and 5:30p.m., to meet the McComb/Lawrence County winners. Tylertown dropsto the losers’ bracket at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, where theywill meet the McComb/Lawrence County losers. Crystal Springs movedto the semifinals at 7 and 8:30 Thursday, to meet the Salem/BogueChitto winners.

Brookhaven falls to the losers’ bracket to face the Salem/BogueChitto losers Saturday at 1 and 2:30 p.m.

The other first round games on Wednesday feature McComb andLawrence County, with the girls at 4 p.m. and the boys at 8:30. TheSalem/Bogue Chitto boys tip off at 5:30, with the girls followingat 7.

Crystal Springs 49, Brookhaven 45

The first half of this game was nearly even with a 14-14deadlock at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Panthers held a28-26 lead at the intermission.

Crystal Springs outscored Ole Brook 11-4 in a decisive thirdperiod to carry 37-32 lead into the final frame.

“We have not put a complete game together yet,” said LadyPanther head coach Billy Holmes.

Free throws and fouls dominated this contest. Both teamscombined for 54 shots from the charity stripe and 45 fouls.

Ole Brook tied the game at 45-45 on a basket by sophomore KaylaHarris with 2:24 left in the game. The Lady Panthers would notscore again.

The Lady Tigers got a free throw from Tyesha Williams with 16ticks left on the clock, to make it a 2-possession game.

Junior forward Portia Dickey paced Brookhaven with 16 points, 4rebounds and 2 assists. Harris added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

Suma Dixon led Crystal Springs with a game-high 17 points,followed by Corrisa Tillman with 16.

Crystal Springs 73, Brookhaven 62

The Tigers came out firing on all cylinders, sacking 3 treys inthe opening 8 minutes to take a 15-13 lead into the second quarter.Clarence Pendleton tossed in 7 (2 treys) of his game-high 18 pointsin the period.

Crystal Springs held an early 13-4 advantage, before a CharlesRancifer (5 points) and Wade Stewart (8 points) led a rally,cutting the Panthers’ deficit to 2 points.

Ole Brook tried to rally in the second, but found themselvestrailing 35-24 at the halftime break.

“They (Tigers) hustled up and down the floor and hit the openjumper,” said Ole Brook head coach Ronald Hines. “We needed todefend better.”

The Panthers (2-3) would make a comeback, but Crystal Springswould answer the call. The closest that Hines’ ballclub would getwas 6 points, 62-56 with 1:36 left in the game on a basket byMichael Washington.

The Tigers made 10-of-15 free throws down the stretch to sealthe win.

Stewart led all scorers with 22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blockedshots and 2 steals. Rancifer had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 stealsand 2 assists.

Hinds AHS 63, Tylertown 47

The Lady Bulldogs were powered by Jerrica Thomas with 16 points,Iyranna Brown with 14 and Sandra Moncure with 10.

Octavia Bearden paced Tylertown with a game-high 17 points,following by Stephanie Dillon with 16.

Hinds AHS 63, Tylertown 55

Hinds AHS got 20 points from Mario Webb. O’Shad Lofton tossed in15 points and Joseph White had 12.

The Chiefs were led by Travis Conerly with a game-high 21points, and Simon’ Dillon with 12.