By Jeff Blair
The third time wasn’t a charm for the Sparta Bulldogs Friday night in the River to River Mississippi Division Class 2A Regional Championship game in Chester. The Bulldogs fell to the Pinckneyville Panthers by a final of 55-42.
Sparta came out strong putting up the first points of the game in the first 10 seconds of the first period.
The Bulldogs stayed with Pinckneyville through much of the first period, trailing by only two heading into the second.
The Panthers went on a 12-3 run in the second and headed into the half leading Sparta 27-16.
Pinckneyville came out shooting in the second leading by as many as 15 before Sparta attempted to mount a comeback with its three-point shooting.
For the Panthers it was pretty much standard procedure as they kept Sparta at bay by spreading the floor and running time off the clock. The Bulldogs could get no closer than nine in the fourth.
Coach Bob Waggoner said the team did what they were supposed to do.
“We maintained focus and kept Sparta from getting inside the perimeter and controlled the rebounds,” he said. “Sparta did a good job of changing their defensive strategy but we were able to counter most of the time.”
Waggoner commended Sparta Coach Rich Williams on putting together a quality basketball team.
Drew Dudek led Pinckneyville in scoring with  20 points. Landon Chandler was one for seven from the field with two points while Jake Bathon added seven points, six from the field and one from the free throw line.
Nathan Morton put up eight points including six from the field and two from the charity stripe and Shay Kellerman contributed with six, four from the field and two from the line.
Kyle Lamb put up six points, Taylor Pyatt had three points and Steve Brueggemann added two. Pinckneyville shot 51 percent from the field and were 10 for 14 from the free throw line for 72 percent. The Panthers committed 13 turnovers in the game.
For the Bulldogs, Maurice Austin had 15 points including four three-point shots and one free throw.
David Sams put up 10. Sams was 4 of 12 from the field with two three-pointers.
Dartanus White was three for nine from the field with six points and Blake Shelton hit two from outside the three-point arch for six points.
Jordan Thompson finished with three points and Austin Peck had two.
Sparta shot 34 percent from the field including nine three-point baskets. They were one for two from the charity stripe shooting 50 percent. The Bulldogs committed eight turnovers.
The Bulldogs finish the season with a record of 18-12 under first year coach Williams.
“Of course we are disappointed with the loss, but we had a great season,” said Williams. “We were badly outsized, but I am pleased with our effort. We had to shoot the ball extremely well to put us in a position to win the game and we just couldn’t get the shots to fall. This was a good first year for myself and the coaching staff and we all want to get back here next year.”
The Panthers will advance to the Herrin Sectional where they will meet Du Quoin Wednesday night. This will be the third meeting of these two teams with Pinckneyville winning the first game and Du Quoin winning the second.
Coach Waggoner said that game will be similar to the Sparta game.
“We’ll be facing a team that’s a little bigger but just as athletic,” he said. “We  have to keep them on the perimeter and not give up penetration around the basket just like we did against Sparta.”
The winner of that game will move on to the sectional championship Friday night at Herrin High School.
In the other sectional semifinal Murphysboro will take on Harrisburg.
In the three-point showdown, Zach Lochhead of Chester, Jake Hoffman of Red Bud and Blake Shelton and Trevor Morgan of Sparta advanced to the sectional round of the competition.