Hitting 12 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter, the Russellville Panthers won 66-62 at Warren East Tuesday to run their record to 2-0 on the young season, their first with Rex Booth as head coach.

Elijah Kemp hit a pair of fouls shots, and then Jacob Naylor went 3 for 4 at the line in a four-second span to put RHS up 63-60. East’s Thomas Maxey cut the margin to one with 8.6 seconds remaining when the Panthers let him go to the goal instead of fouling.

Then Devin Quarles, who had missed his first two free throw attempts in the quarter, canned two to make the Panther lead 65-62 with 7.5 seconds. The Panthers forced a Raider turnover, and then Kemp hit one foul shot to give his team an insurmountable four-point margin.

In the second quarter, newcomer Akeem Dukes hit two shots sandwiched around a Jacolbie Mason free throw to put the Panthers up 23-14.

East not only came back but led 54-50 with three and a half minutes left in the game. The Panthers went ahead on a Naylor three-pointer, but he rushed another long range shot. Brevon Whitney tied it at 58-58 on the ensuring East possession.

Then came the flurry of free throws.

Even though Russellville’s foul shots at the end sealed the win, the home team spent more time at the line (21 of 32) than did the Panthers (17 of 28).

Naylor finished with 20 points and Quarles 12 to lead the Panthers. Whitney led Coach Brandon Combs’ Raiders with 18 points while Tashawn Neal had 15 and Treonte Patterson 10.

Score by Quarters: 1) East 10-6, 2) RHS 23-18, 3) RHS 42-40, Final) Russellville 66, Warren East 62

RHS (66) Jacob Naylor 20, Devin Quarles 12, Elijah Kemp 11, Anthony Woodard 8, Akeem Dukes 7, Corey Dowlen 4, Hunter Armistead 3, Jacolbie Mason 1

EAST (62) Brevon Whitney 18m Tashawn Neal 15, Tremonte Patterson 10, Bryson Wallace 6, Adante Barber 4, Sam Perdue 4, Thomas Maxey 2, Ryan Carter 2, Mikiah Vondracek 1