Russell, Spencer Lead Parkview Over Mt. View (With Video)

Parkview's boys basketball team seems to be getting better at this close-game thing.

For the second straight night in the Deep South Classic at Brookwood High School, the Panthers took a second-half lead and made it stand in a tightly played game, beating Mountain View 69-62 to win the tourney's game for fifth place.

While the Panthers (7-6) let a five-point lead evaporate in the final minute of regulation in a first-round overtime loss to McIntosh Tuesday, they were much more sound in Wednesday's 63-55 win over Dunwoody and in Thursday's victory, too.

"We're getting better every day," said Parkview coach Keenan Temple, who added that all but two of his team's games have been tight affairs. "We're in close games all the time and we're starting to put it together."

Kameron Russell and Delano Spencer combined for 46 points, and both played important roles as the Panthers withstood Mountain View's hot first-half shooting. The Bears made nine three-pointers for the game, six coming in th first eight minutes.

Russell, who also had 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, scored 16 points in the third quarter, including a dunk just before the buzzer to put the Panthers up 57-51.

Spencer scored six of his points in the final 2:28, including two free throws with 1:08 left to give Parkview a 67-62 lead.

Mountain View led for most of the first half on the three-point shooting of Drew Bollier and Troy Taylor. Bollier made four three-pointers and Taylor hit two more as the Bears built a 22-14 first-quarter lead.

Temple made a defensive adjustment after that, putting Cameron Neysmith on Bollier and Andre Chatfield on Taylor, and it worked. Bollier and Taylor scored 20 points combined in the first quarter, but only 14 over the middle two quarters, during which the Panthers gained control. Bollier finished with 24 points, while Taylor had 16.

"You could tell we were tired in the first quarter," Temple said. "But I think our defensive pressure on their guards changed things after that."

Chatfield, a freshman, added 12 points for the Panthers.