The 5A Greenville Tigers proved the dominant basketball club in town as they outpaced the visiting 1A Georgiana Panthers 82-60.

But the first half was an entirely different matter, as the two teams juggled momentum throughout the first two quarters like a hot potato.

The Tigers held firm control until nearly five minutes remained in the half, until a no-look, behind-the-back dish from Devin McMeans set up an easy bucket and a Georgiana lead.

But Javorrius Cheatham took control of the final minutes, finding the paint for a couple of easy looks and a trip to the charity strike for a chance to retake the lead.

A Tigers run closed out the half with a five-point lead, leaving a flustered Georgiana offense heading into the locker room.

The frustration mounted for the Panthers ten-fold in the second half, however, as the Tigers defense buckled down and Georgiana’s offensive momentum crawled to a halt.

Twin towers Javorrius Cheatham and Ra’heem Moore controlled the paint in imposing fashion, with a significant height advantage over several Panthers players, and forced more than a few difficult shots from the perimeter for Georgiana that failed to hit their target.

Still missing lead scorer Jacquez Payton, the Panthers struggled to find a sense of offensive rhythm as the Tigers created fast-break opportunities and their lead grew to double digits.

By the fourth quarter, Georgiana’s deficit was nearly insurmountable.

The Panthers, now with only their second loss of the season, faced Florala at home on Friday, while the Tigers travelled to Calhoun.

Results were unavailable for both games as of press time.