PANOLA, Texas (Interstat) — The Panola Ponies used a dominant first quarter to defeat the Paris Dragons 78-64 in a men’s junior college basketball game Wednesday night.

Panola built a commanding 44-26 lead after the opening period and maintained a double-digit advantage throughout. The Ponies improved to 16-12, while Paris fell to 12-14.

CJ Worsham led a balanced Panola attack with 17 points and nine rebounds. Benicio Leons added 15 points and five rebounds. Six Ponies scored at least nine points in the victory.

Paris, which lost to Panola for the second time this season, was led by its 26-point first quarter but could not sustain the pace. The Dragons shot poorly from the floor, three-point range and the free-throw line.