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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Pelham Panthers earned their 20th win of the season on Friday night, Jan. 19 after defeating the Springville Tigers 69-52 at Pelham High School.

The teams felt each other out during the opening quarter. The period saw multiple lead changes between the two teams, but Pelham was able to end the first quarter with an 11-8 advantage.

In the second quarter, the Panthers picked up the intensity on both sides of the ball. The defense forced several turnovers and the offense finished on the other end. That gave Pelham a 29-20 lead going into halftime.

The Panthers came out of the locker room strong and took over the game in the third quarter. The defense erupted and forced the Tigers to turn the ball over, which led to points for Pelham.

On the opposite end, the Panthers offense had a great quarter of their own as they put up 27 points in the third quarter. Pelham led 56-39 going into the final period.

The Tigers did not bow out, however. They fought to score 13 points in the final period, but Pelham matched it to finish with a 17-point win.

The Panthers were led in scoring by Dynarian Long who finished with 22, followed by Joe Wimberly and Sam Tolbert with 15 and 12 respectively.

The Panthers are on the road Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. against cross-town rival Helena for their first matchup of the season.