By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

Only one game separated St. Sanislaus and Picayune in the Division 8-4A standings entering Tuesday night’s game at Brother Philip Memorial Gym.

Over 40 points separated the teams when the game was over, however.

The homestanding Rockachaws dominated the Maroon Tide in every facet, cruising to a 69-27 win.

The win moves SSC, ranked ninth in the state, to 16-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in league play while Picayune drops to 9-8 overall and 5-2 in league action.

The decision also almost guarantees that Picayune won’t be the top seed in the league tournament for the first time in four years.

“With the tradition of the Picayune-St. Stanislaus rivalry tonight, I thought we came out really focused and set the tone early in the game,” SSC veteran head coach Jay Ladner, whose team beat Picayune 65-45 last month, said.

Ladner may have been making an understatement. The Rocks rolled to an 8-0 lead early and led 19-2 at one point in the first period.

SSC continued the onslaught, and led 31-6 at one point in the second quarter.

The biggest lead for the Rocks would be 66-23 late in the game.

“They shot the ball very well,” Picayune first year head coach Tom Taylor said.

Sophomore center Daniel Grieves led SSC with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Pedro Maciel had 14 points and eight assists.

Vince Gable had nine points for Picayune and Chris Nixon added eight points and 10 rebounds.

Both Picayune teams travel to Long Beach on Friday in division play.

Poplarville splits

D’IBERVILLE — Poplarville’s Lady Hornets avenged their only Division 8-4A loss of the season by squeezing past D’Iberville 54-51 Tuesday night.

The Lady Hornets moved to 13-4 overall and 5-1 in league play with the win, and remained in first place in the league standings with the win.

The Lady Warriors beat Poplarville by a point last month.

“It was another close game, and we didn’t play one of our better games,” Poplarville head coach Annette Smith said. “We played well in spurts, and held on for the win.”

Daquari Raine paced Poplarville with 15 points in the win, and Demi Beason added 14 points to the winning cause while Jeronda Beason added nine and Policia Travis eight.

In the boys game, D’Iberville took a 65-55 win over the Hornets.

Poplarville falls to 4-13 overall with the loss and 1-5 in league play. The only league win for the Hornets came in a close win over the Warriors last month.

Lavelle Henry paced Poplarville with 19 points while David Gilmore added 11.

The Hornets and Lady Hornets are off until Tuesday, when the PHS boys take on St. Stanislaus on the road and the Lady Hornets will face OLA on the same night on the road as well.