A tale of two second halves saw one turn out great for the Porters Chapel Academy girls and bad for the PCA boys.

The Lady Eagles won their first game Monday night, getting a game-best 30 points from Shelby Wells to beat Christ Missionary and Industrial School, 59-55.

The PCA boys, however, made just 5 of 29 shots in the second half and committed 13 turnovers to fall to the Crusaders, 65-42.

E.J. Creel, who coaches both PCA teams, led a Lady Eagle team that played short-handed after four varsity players were suspended for the game for undisclosed reasons.

“I am very proud of our girls. This makes it worth it. We had to use two eighth graders as subs and they did great,” Creel said.

And so did Wells, who came through with a career game.

“I knew we could do it,” Wells said.

The free throw line proved to be her best friend. She powered PCA’s comeback from an 11-point third quarter deficit by making 13 of 17 free throws.

“You know, I had gotten into a little funk with them in the past few weeks, but tonight, I finally found it again,” Wells said.

Down 11 at 39-28, Wells keyed the comeback with 12 of her 30 points coming in the final four minutes of the third quarter. She made four field goals, six free throws and then had a big assist to Kati Atkins, who drained a 12-foot shot to tie the game at 39 as the third quarter ended.

The lead switched hands five times over the next three minutes before CM&I (0-6, 0-3) took a five-point lead at 55-50. Atkins, though, kept PCA in it with two more short jumpers to cut the deficit to 55-54. She then gave the Lady Eagles the lead with her fourth made jumper of the half at 56-55 with 1:43 left.

CM&I had a chance to take back the lead but Cassie Berry’s runner rolled off the rim and PCA’s Cristin Windham was fouled on the rebound. She made one of two free throws for a two-point lead with 31 seconds left.

A turnover gave the ball back to PCA (1-6, 1-2). Wells then made two free throws in the final 20 seconds to clinch the win.

(B) CM&I 65, PCA 42

The Eagles (2-1, 1-1) were down 30-24 at the half, but a rough third quarter gave CM&I a 53-29 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“I had a bad feeling it was about to happen,” Creel said of the Eagles’ woes. They made just two baskets in the quarter and had 11 turnovers.

“The pace was a lot more than I wanted it to be. I was hoping I was going `to keep it close. But once we got down 15 or more, the whole outlook changed,” Creel added.

CM&I (3-3, 3-0) has played a tough schedule with losses to Jackson Prep, MRA and Pillow.

“Those teams showed we need to play ball the whole game. We want to be a run-and-gun team but we got in foul trouble in the first half,” CM&I coach Alonzo Cameron said.

Jacob Rachal led PCA with 17 points and 15 rebounds.