HUNTER COOKSTON
Writer
The South Pittsburg Pirates basketball team captured the regular-season District Championship. Last Tuesday, they had the opportunity to add a District Tournament title, which would set them up nicely for the Region Tournament. The Pirates delivered, claiming the District Tournament Championship with a 63-56 win over Van Buren County.
South Pittsburg got off to a quick start offensively, scoring 17 points in the opening period. Nicoli Burton came off the bench ready, knocking down two triples and leading his team in scoring for the quarter. Junior Dayon Cooper also hit a shot from beyond the arc, contributing five points. JR Hardrick added four points, and Brandon Goldsmith chipped in two.
Cooper scored eight of the Pirates’ 15 points in the second quarter. Senior Alex Phillips added five points, and Burton contributed two more. South Pittsburg led Van Buren 32-21 at the break.
In the third period, Hardrick and Burton led the scoring with five points each. Phillips and Cooper also added two points apiece in the quarter. In the final quarter, Burton continued his dominance with nine points to cap off a 22-point performance. Phillips knocked down a triple and finished the quarter with five points. Cooper added two more, and Hardrick rounded out the scoring with a free throw.
Van Buren gave South Pittsburg all it could handle in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to three points with 30 seconds remaining. The Pirates buckled down defensively and knocked down critical free throws in crunch time to secure the win.
South Pittsburg’s next game is still to be determined. The Pirates will look to build on their district regular-season and tournament championships as they prepare for regional play.