After falling against San Angelo Central last week, Permian boys basketball coach Steven Flores knew his team needed a bounce-back effort when it faced Midland Legacy Friday at the Permian Fieldhouse.
He got that, as the Panthers came away with a 69-47 win in District 2-6A play.
“Tonight we were the toughest team and we cut down on turnovers,” Flores said. “That was a big key.”
Permian used its speed on offense early in the first quarter to jump ahead on the scoreboard, but Midland Legacy wouldn’t allow the Panthers to get too much separation.
The Panthers built up a seven-point advantage as the first half wound down, which was their largest lead up to that point in the game.
A timely 3-pointer from Race Herr in the left corner allowed Permian to extend its lead and go into the break up by 10 points.
Midland Legacy came out of the halftime break with a quick surge, as Donny Bishop hit a 3-pointer to help cut into the Permian lead.
That quick boost didn’t last the quarter, as Permian started gaining momentum after Jamobrione Anderson scored a contested layup and a 3-pointer of his own.
The Panthers didn’t let up as the game neared its end, outscoring the Rebels 39-27 through the second half.
“We really needed this win just to stay in the hunt in the playoff race,” Flores said. “The boys competed hard, they played hard and I was very proud of them.”
Anderson led the Panthers with 22 points, while Ben Saldivar contributed 18 to the victory.
The sophomore duo was part of a group of younger Panthers who helped close out the game.
Flores said one of his final lineups included a freshman and three sophomores, with each player contributed to a fourth quarter where the team scored 25 points.
Calvione Callicutt helped the Panthers maintain an edge with his size and physicality down low.
He said picking up a victory over Midland Legacy helped them regain their confidence after their most recent loss against the Bobcats.
Permian (17-5 overall, 2-2 district) will face Abilene High at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Permian Fieldhouse.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
Permian 69, Midland Legacy 47
Friday, Permian Fieldhouse
MIDLAND LEGACY (14-10, 2-3)
Donny Bishop 2 2-4 7, Chris Brazzell 6 10-11 22, Deonte Sonnier 0 0-0 0, Nate Suttle 0 2-2 2, Elijah Maxwell 3 5-6 11, Angel Medina 0 0-0 0, Eric Sanders 0 0-0 0, Tim Whitfield 0 0-0 0, Trevor Van Hasen 0 0-0 0, Brandon Foster 1 1-2 3, Amadrion Hall 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 20-24 47.
PERMIAN (17-5, 2-2)
Calvione Callicutt 4 0-0 8, Ben Saldivar 5 4-4 18, Ryale Moses 1 0-0 2, Justin Martinez 1 3-4 6, Tremayne Baty 1 0-0 2, Joe Aguilar 0 0-0 0, Jamobrione Anderson 8 3-4 22, Brian Huitron 0 0-0 0, Zech Leija 1 0-0 2, Race Herr 3 2-2 9. Totals 24 12-14 69.
Midland Legacy…….. 7.. 13 13 14 — 47
Permian……………… 11.. 19 14 25 — 69
3-Point goals — Permian 9 (Saldivar 4, Martinez 1, Anderson 3, Herr 1), Midland Legacy 1 (Bishop 1). Total fouls — Permian 15, Midland Legacy 10. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
