THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Permian High School Athletics

The Permian Panthers maintained a share of the lead in the District 2-6A boys basketball race Friday with a 67-62 victory against Wolfforth Frenship at Permian Fieldhouse. The teams came in as part of a four-team logjam atop the 2-6A standings with Amarillo Tascosa and Midland High. Permian (20-7 overall, 5-2 district) emerged still tied with the Rebels and Bulldogs, while the Tigers (19-10, 4-3) dropped to fourth place. “Frenship coming in had beat the other two teams we were tied with,” Panthers coach Tim Thomas said. “I thought it was important that the kids come out and compete tough and give ourselves a chance.” Shy Stephens-Deary scored a game-high 20 points off the bench to lead Permian, while Genuwine Powell scored 19 points and Jonathan Anaya added 12. All seven of the Permian players that saw action scored. “It takes heart,” Powell said of surviving another strong challenge at home after last week’s 56-52 loss to Tascosa. “It takes fight and battling. “With what Coach Thomas puts us through in practices, he’s preparing us for game-like situations. What he’s telling us to do, I’ve got to adjust it to the game because I’m seeing different looks from different teams. “I have to keep fighting, finding different ways to help my team out to win.” Noble Robinson led Frenship with 16 points, followed by Jastyn Garrett with 13 and Calaway Dykes with 11. Permian opened up an 18-11 lead late in the first quarter and led 25-17 on a basket by Powell with 4:15 to go in the second period. Frenship scored the next eight points and closed the half on a 10-2 run to pull even at 27 at the break. The teams exchanged the lead 12 times in the third quarter before Permian scored twice in the final minute to lead 45-42. Dykes hit three 3-pointers in the period, giving the Tigers the lead each time. The Panthers turned the surge at the end of the third quarter into a 9-0 run to lead 50-42 early in the fourth and maintained at least a four-point edge the rest of the way. “It was a physical contest,” Thomas said. “It was a contest of ebb and flow, back and forth. Basketball, a lot of times, is a game of runs. Sometimes, the team that gets the last run is the team that wins. We were able to get the last run during that fourth quarter.” Permian took its largest lead of the night at 64-52 on a Jase Taylor free throw with 1:37 remaining. The Panthers finished 13 of 18 at the line, making six of eight free throws in the fourth quarter.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Permian High School Athletics

PANTHERS FEND OFF TIGERS, KEEP SHARE OF 2-6A LEAD

SAM WALLER

Odessa American | 2/4/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacob Ford