Brookhaven coach Ronald Hines wanted to slow down McComb’s highoctane offense Friday night. His slowdown tactics worked for awhile but the Tigers adjusted and roared to a 72-48 victory inSinclair Gymnasium, powered by Asheen Williams with 24 points.

McComb raised its South Division record to 6-2 and climbed to22-3 overall. Ole Brook sank to 11-14 overall and 3-5 in thedivision.

Hines said the game plan was to slow down McComb’s high-scoringsenior duo of Otis Smith and Roteddrick Cotton. They were limitedto a total of 15 points, 10 by Smith.

“We wanted to try and control Otis and Cotton,” said Hines. “Ourkids played hard but we got beat on the boards. We couldn’t reboundsecond opportunity points,” on the offensive boards.

“McComb’s bench points beat us,” Hines added. “Number 14(Williams) killed us.”

Williams also accounted for 11 rebounds as the Tigersoutrebounded Brook 29-18. Smith had 7 rebounds and Cotton 6.

The Panthers got a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds fromjunior guard Charles (Bobo) Rancifer. Center Simmie Yarborough had10 points.

Hines. and a crowed estimated at 1,000-plus, watched thePanthers take an 8-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. McComboutrebounded the hosts 10-2 in the second quarter and claimed a24-18 halftime lead. Rancifer’s hurried, half-court trey beat thehalftime buzzer.

McComb coach Hilton Harrell said he wasn’t surprised by Brook’sstalling tactics. “Everybody is trying to slow it down on us. Theytry to lull you to sleep.”

Harrell said he preferred a crowd-pleasing, up-tempo game. “Ithink the people come to see them play. It’s a high schoolgame.

“I was proud of our kids,” he continued. “They played hard andhit the offensive glass. Our point guard (Defredric White) did agood job.”

White finished with 13 points. He made several cat-quick assistsand picked up several steals as the game wore on.

The Tigers forged a 15-point, third-quarter lead. They went up46-31 on a jumper by Fred Harness with 1 second left on the clock.They started the final frame with 9 unanswered points, building a55-31 advantage with 5:14 showing.

The Panthers resume play Tuesday night at Lawrence County inMonticello. McComb, with division losses to Lawrence County andPort Gibson, plays at Mendenhall Tuesday.