WESSON – The Wesson Cobras and Lady Cobras captured two big Region 7-2A victories over the East Marion Eagles Friday night in the Snake Pit.

In the girls game, the Lady Cobras overpowered the Lady Eagles with their speed and depth to crush East Marion 54-34.

In boys action, Wesson held off East Marion’s late, fourth-quarter rally to pluck the Eagles 51-49.

Wesson returns to action Tuesday. They visit region archrival Loyd Star for four games. Junior varsity action begins at 4 p.m. The varsity girls tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys.

Wesson 54, East Marion 34

The Lady Cobras (10-10, 3-2) came out slow and sluggish, but fought hard to take a 17-11 lead in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Wesson managed to gain the upper hand on the Lady Eagles and increase their lead to 33-24 at halftime.

In the second half, the Lady Cobras’ speed and depth played a huge role as they outscored East Marion 21-10 for the victory.

Senior forward Hannah McCormick powered the Lady Cobras with a game-high 14 points. Junior guard Brandi McInnis provided 10 points. Jashia Smith was the leader on the boards for Wesson with 10 rebounds.

“We played slow and sluggish the whole game,” said Wesson coach Rusti Magee. “We are pitiful at the free throw line. We finished 19 of 43 from the charity line.

“Overall, I am pleased we came out with the win. Now, we must regroup and get ready for Tuesday.”

Alahna Pace was the top scorer for the Lady Eagles (3-16, 0-4) with 12 points.

“Wesson has a good team,” said East Marion coach Calvin Brown. “We are a very young squad. My girls are working hard and getting the learning experience needed to improve.

“Overall, I am seeing continued growth of my girls, but losing does get frustrating for them.”

Four of Brown’s players fouled out.

Wesson 51, East Marion 49

The Cobras and Eagles provided a good defensive bout for their basketball fans. In the first quarter, East Marion secured a slim 12-10 lead.

In the second quarter, Wesson fought back to command a 27-24 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the defensive bout continued. The Eagles outscored the Cobras 25-24, but Wesson made the key plays and stops at the end to secure the victory.

Sophomore guard Dartavious Dixon showcased a strong performance for Wesson with 17 points and 6 steals. Farrod Green directed the Cobras on the boards with 12 rebounds and collected 7 steals.

“We came out sluggish and stayed that way the whole game,” said Wesson coach Rusty Newman. “We have got to learn to make better decisions down the stretch. Overall, I am proud of the guys for finishing the game to get the win.”

The Eagles (9-9, 1-3) had two players score in double figures. Shavonte Coleman was the leader with a game-high 18 points. Katron Allen provided 11 points.

“Wesson made the key shots and defensive plays at the end to get the win,” said Brown. “We had our chances to come away with a victory ourselves but we made costly turnovers at crunch time.”

Junior Varsity Results

In JV boys action, the Cobras defeated the Eagles 52-34.

Eric Rhymes pumped in a game-high 14 points to lead Wesson. Ethan Harris contributed 10 points.

DeVonte Rogers was the leading scorer for East Marion with 8 points. Dexter Irvin netted 7 points.