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By LAUREN SEXTON | Sports Reporter

BIRMINGHAM – The Pelham Panthers season came to an end in the Sweet 16 on Friday, Feb. 17.

The Panthers faced Paul Bryant at the Birmingham CrossPlex and despite their best efforts, Pelham fell to Paul Bryant 61-35

“Our guys came out and played hard,” Pelham head coach Greg Dickson said. “We just couldn’t match on with that size off that two-three zone and trying to hurt us, shots not being on.”

Pelham struggled in the opening quarter after a rocky start. Paul Bryant’s defense stopped all of the Panthers’ action in the arc, leaving Pelham trailing 13-0 going into the second quarter.

The second quarter was a game-changer for the Panthers in the beginning. Within the first minute of the quarter, Pelham knocked down back-to-back baskets leading them to trail Paul Bryant 19-9.

Although Pelham managed to make an impressive comeback and outscored Paul Bryant by two points, Paul Bryant held a 23-22 lead.

Karama Hollis posted the first field goal of the game, totaling four points from two field goals. Joe Wimberly led the Panthers with a basket knocked down inside and outside the arc. Jackson Germek tacked on three points outside the arc.

Coming back from the break, it appeared as though the Panthers were going to carry their second-quarter mentality into the second half. However, Paul Bryant began to pick up more points outside the arc and from the free-throw line.

Paul Bryant held 16 points over Pelham by the end of the third quarter after limiting the Panthers to 10 points before the final period.

Hollis totaled four points while Germek followed with another three points posted outside the arc. Dynarian Long pick up two, and Eli Lewis made the front end of a one-and-one.

Paul Bryant’s final offensive in the fourth quarter outscored the Panthers by 10 points and made a comeback next to impossible. Despite losing by 26 points, Pelham played its hardest until the very end.

Pelham fell to Paul Bryant 61-35.

Hollis knocked down four out of his five free throw attempts and added on three field goals totaling six points. Lewis went two-for-two, while Wimberly posted one.

“We’re proud of our guys,” Dickson said. “We fought hard all year long and overachieved at the end of the day.”

Hollis was Pelham’s leading scorer with 16 points and one rebound. Wimberly and Germek followed Hollis with six points each. Wimberly totaled three rebounds and Germek totaled two. Thompson Gennari led the Panthers with a total of seven rebounds, one offensive and six defensives.