ROLLING FORK – With the size Porters Chapel Academy has to work with this season, it’s no wonder first-year coach Mark Pierce is emphasizing patience.

The Eagles used their superior size to beat down Carroll Academy 57-42 and won Pool B in the Jeff Arrington Memorial Tournament Friday at Sharkey-Issaquena Academy. PCA will face the winner between Manchester and Deer Creek tonight at 6:15 in the tournament finals.

Led by 2006 Vicksburg Post Player of the Year Hayden Hales, PCA (2-4) overcame a 22-19 halftime deficit. Hales scored 14 of his game-high 28 points in the third quarter as the Eagles turned the three-point hole into an eight-point lead at 43-35.

&#8220We wanted to get Hayden on the baseline and let him work,” said Pierce, who played fullback at the University of Arkansas. &#8220He’s one of the better players in the state and he can go all over the court.”

He’s also got some help inside with the 6-foot-5 Michael Roach and the 6-3 1/2 Jermaine O’Conner.

&#8220It’s a lot easier with those two guys inside. I pretty much let them worry about the rebounds,” Hales said.

O’Conner had a strong overall game with 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Roach had 10 points and eight boards while Hales also had eight rebounds to go with four assists. PCA enjoyed a 39-23 edge on the boards.

O’Conner got the Eagles off to a 15-9 lead after one quarter by scoring eight points and grabbing six rebounds.

Carroll then changed its defense, going with a double-team on O’Conner and the Eagles could not shoot the Rebels out of it. PCA made just one shot out of 13 attempts and had just four points in all in the second quarter. That allowed Carroll to grab a 22-19 halftime lead.

&#8220The offense was good in the first quarter and then we had just four points in the second. We had a long talk at halftime and they came fired up in the half,” Pierce said of his Eagles.

&#8220I think the key thing for us is we’ve got to be patient. I want to slow it down, control the clock and get it inside,” Pierce said.

Tied at 27-all, Roach powered in a basket off the block to put PCA ahead to stay. Hales followed later by banking in a 5-footer after grabbing his own rebound to make it 36-29 with two minutes to play in the third quarter.

Hales finished off his 14-point outburst in the third with a dunk and a driving layup.

That freed up O’Conner in the fourth quarter and it was his three-point play off an offensive rebound that gave PCA its biggest lead to that point at 50-36 with 4:57 left.

Allen Cheek led Carroll with 20 points and Wall Montgomery had 13.

(G) Carroll 53, PCA 37

Shelby Wells scored a career high 19 points but it wasn’t enough to derail Carroll Academy Friday afternoon at the Jeff Arrington Tournament.

Carroll used a 21-8 third quarter to bust open the game and take a 45-23 lead into the fourth quarter.

Liz Raby led Carroll with 16 points. Whitney Barry had 10. Bailey Williams chipped in eight for PCA.