The South Panola Tigers's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their 11th straight loss. They fell to Saltillo 67-61. While losing is never fun, South Panola can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi basketball rankings (they are ranked 237th, while Saltillo is ranked 82nd).
Several Tigers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Demartric Houston, who scored 24 points. Houston is trending in the right direction, as he's improved his point production for three games straight. Another player making a difference was Cameron Griffin, who scored 15 points.
Saltillo's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cayden Howell, who scored 21 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Howell has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last 16 times he's played. Jack Adams was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with two steals.
South Panola's defeat was their sixth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 2-16. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.2 points per game. As for Saltillo, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 15-10.
South Panola will take on Grenada at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Saltillo, they will head out on the road to challenge Olive Branch at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Olive Branch is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
