DECATUR — Morton High School head coach Marcus Luckett was frank when speaking about playing Choctaw Central High School.

As the Panthers and Warriors faced each other in the East Central Invitational Tournament Friday, the Panthers’ head coach knew despite the outcome, his team would be better having played such a gritty opponent.

“I like to play Choctaw, because if you can guard them, that’s a testament of who you can guard, because they all shoot it well, they get after you, and that’s the style of play we like,” Luckett said. 

The Warriors lived up to and perhaps exceeded, Luckett’s expectations as the Panthers pulled past Choctaw Central 79-75 late in the fourth quarter after a fast-paced, back-and-forth game that left players visibly drained once it concluded.

Morton’s Roti Ware led the Panthers with 32 points — 18 which came in the fourth quarter — but perhaps none were as crucial than a late fourth-quarter shot and the and-one free throw with 59 seconds remaining in the game that gave the Panthers a 76-75 lead. 

“You’re lucky to have a kid like that who wants to take on that challenge,” Luckett said of Ware. “And, he did. The good thing is, (his teammates) look for him to do that, and they play off of it. He’s a tough kid, he’s a competitor, and he always goes out there and lays it on the line.”

After being 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, Choctaw Central surged for 21 second-quarter points to lead 37-34. Quenton Anderson added seven points in the period. 

Both teams traded baskets in the third quarter, as Choctaw Central added 20 third-quarter points to Morton’s 19, to give the Warriors a 57-53 lead they’d carry into the fourth quarter.

“I was proud of our overall effort — we’d been lacking in handling pressure teams like Morton,” Choctaw Central head coach Brent Farmer said. “I think we started the game really well, we were focused, and that was apparent very early in the game. I feel confident in our abilities.”

Although the Warriors extended their fourth-quarter lead to seven points, a 26-point fourth quarter was enough to overtake Choctaw Central and steal the win. Following the victory, Luckett said he learned a lot about his team’s mental makeup.

“They got together and bonded, and they grew,” he said. “And that’s all I could ask of them – to grow and get better together.”

Dylan Nickey led the Warriors in scoring with 15 points and four 3-pointers. 

CHOCTAW CENTRAL GIRLS 64, 

NEWTON COUNTY 29 

Kyarrah Grant led Choctaw Central with 14 points, and Jordan Bell contributed 13 to lead the Lady Warriors past Newton County 67-29 Friday evening at East Central Community College.

The Lady Warriors jumped out to 12-0 lead early in the first, but Newton County pawed its way back to make the score 15-12 in Choctaw Central’s favor at the end of the first quarter.

Choctaw Central shook off the complacency and flashed the talent they possessed that earned them a berth in the MHSAA Class 3A state title game last spring.

The Lady Warriors outscored the Lady Cougars 20-6 in the second half with four 3-pointers by Candace Jefferson, who made two, and Bell and Grant, who netted one. Newton County’s Megan Jim gave the Lady Cougars a 3-pointer, and the rest of Newton County’s points were scored on free throws by Tiffany Wilson and Cassie Denson, as Choctaw Central carried a 35-18 lead into halftime.

“We came out with a little more intensity, and pulled away from them,” Lady Warriors head coach Bill Smith said. “When you get a big lead, it’s hard to maintain the level of intensity that you need, but we pulled it out.”

Choctaw Central outscored Newton County 23-9 in the third quarter, and 6-2 in the fourth to clinch the win.

Chelsea Giles led the Lady Cougars in scoring with 13 points.