The No. 4-ranked Cardinals outscored Panola 19-5 in the closing 8:45 of the first half Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Gym on their way to a 61-42 Region XIV Conference basketball win.

The win sends the defending NJCAA champion Cardinals home for the holiday break riding a nine-game winning streak and owner of an 11-1 season record. The Cardinals are 4-0 in conference.

The Cardinals are scheduled return to action on Saturday, Jan. 3 at Bossier Parish. Game time is 2 p.m.

The next home game for the Cardinals is scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 7 against Coastal Bend. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Four Cardinals scored in double figures, led by Braylon Wenger with 12. Armani Henderson and M.J. Wardlow had 11 each and Derelle Desire 10. Henderson just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.

Zati Loubaki finished with eight points and eight rebounds for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals led 30-19 at the half. Panola pulled within three, 33-30, early in the second half, at which point the Cardinals pulled away for good.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Carthage on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.

In other conference games Saturday, it was Paris 73, Coastal Bend 60; Tyler 85, Lamar State-PA 75; Angelina 87, Bossier Parish 79; and Kilgore 72, Binn 68. Lee plays at Navarro today at 4 p.m.