ABILENE The Permian Panthers extended their season Friday with a 71-46 victory over Keller Central in a Class 6A boys basketball area playoff game at Abilene Cooper’s Cougar Gymnasium.
Brother Miller scored a game-high 21 points, grabbed four rebounds, recorded seven assists and made three steals to lead the 16th-ranked Panthers to their 22nd consecutive victory. Ozzy Terrazas added15 points, while Derrick Wright scored nine points off the bench.
“The key for us was our defense,” Permian coach Tim Thomas said. “The kids played hard and played great defense. We tried to make shots difficult for (Central) and pressure them.
“That’s a good team. They’re going to to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. But our kids played one of our best, complete all-around games that we’ve played, really this year.”
Permian (30-3) advances to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 1998 to face Arlington Bowie. Thomas said details of the game are still to be worked out.
After playing to a 13-13 tie in the first quarter, the Panthers outscored the Chargers 20-10 in the second quarter and continued to pull away the rest of the game.
“We had some foul trouble in the first quarter,” Thomas said. “Ozzy picked up two and Nakavieon (White) picked up two, and we had to play some of our reserves. Zach McGee and Fabian Flotte stepped up and really helped our team.
“A lot of guys stepped up. We had some guys out, but the other guys got in there and pitched in. It really kepts us going and helped us get the momentum.”
Of the 11 Permian players to see action, 10 scored. Nakavieon White had six points before fouling out, while Elijah White and Justin Hammond both scored five. McGee and Flotte both finished with three points.
Central (25-11) was led by Latrell Jossell with 14 points, while Kylil Anderson ahd Jakobe Kirk both scored nine.
KELLER CENTRAL (25-11)
Kylil Anderson 2 4-5 9, Jakobe Kirk 3 1-2 9, Latrell Jossell 4 4-6 14, Tyler Langston 0 3-4 3, Bryce Young 1 0-1 3, Jerome Whitaker 0 0-0 0, Aydan Asp 1 0-0 2, Cade Warrior 0 0-0 0, Tyler Lindstrom 0 1-2 1, Taylor McCarson 0 0-0 0, Bryant Young 1 2-2 4, Justin Garrett 0 1-2 1, Hafiz Akinteye 0 0-0 0, Danny Reynolds 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 16-24 46.
PERMIAN (30-3)
Brother Miller 8 4-6 21, Johnathan Anaya 0 0-0 0, Fabian Flotte 1 1-2 3, Elijah White 1 3-4 5, Nakavieon White 2 2-3 6, Derrick Wright 3 2-4 9, Ty’derick Henderson 0 2-4 2, Zach McGee 1 1-1 3, Justin Hammond 2 1-1 5, Ozzy Terrazas 7 1-2 15, Kevon Fox 0 2-2 2. Totals 25 19-29 71.
Central……13 10 9 14 — 46
Permian…..13 20 17 21 — 71
3-Point goals — Central 6 (Anderson 1, Kirk 2, Jossell 2, Bryc.Young 1), Permian 2 (Miller 1, Wright 1). Total fouls — Central 24, Permian 20. Fouled out — N.White. Technical fouls — Jossell.
