Leake claims Gold Ball

Oak Forest falls to Leake
The Oak Forest Lady Jackets’ bid for an Overall Championship came to end on Saturday in a 65-56 loss to the Lady Rebels of Leake Academy. But while the defeat was disappointing, solace can be found in the fact that this Oak Forest team has gone farther than any other in the school’s history. After capturing the South AA State title just two weeks ago the Lady Jackets were upset at the state tournament in Brookhaven last week by Marshall. With their performance at the Overall Tournament this group has left a lasting legacy for Oak Forest teams to come.

In Saturday’s championship game with perennial power Leake, the Lady Jackets did more than just hold their own. They battled to a 15-15 tie after the opening quarter and only trailed 31-29 at halftime. The third quarter was more of the same as Leake couldn’t shake loose from Oak Forest and the Lady Rebels took a slim 51-47 lead into the final quarter. In the final quarter Leake would extend their lead as they outscored Oak Forest 14-9 in the fourth quarter. The Lady Jackets went cold in the quarter and weren’t able to overtake Leake as the Lady Rebels earned a 65-56 win to take their first Gold Ball since the 1998-99 season.

Oak Forest got great games from all five starters….senior Lindsey Oliver led the Lady Jackets with 18 points and 4 assists, senior Cassie Bennett added 16 points and 6 rebounds, senior Brittani Roy had 8 points and 8 assists, senior Lauren Brumfield had 8 points and 8 rebounds, and sophomore Ashlyn Neal had 6 points and 12 rebounds.

Leake was led by junior Emily Key with 18 points and 8 rebounds, and eighth grade point guard Hannah Peoples with 18 points, sophomore Jenny Wilbanks added 15 points and 7 rebounds, and junior Jessie Powers had 14 points and 5 assists.
The Lady Jackets struggled from 3-point territory hitting on 6/26 while Leake converted on 8/15.

Leake finished the season at 39-3 while Oak Forest finished at 36-6.

Basketball 2009/10

In my humble opinion,
By Darron Thomas
Now that only two days of the 2008/09 basketball season are remaining it’s not hard to look forward to next season and which teams will contend for post season glory. While Brookhaven will be going for an unprecedented sixth straight state championship in boy’s basketball, Leake’s girls will be gunning for their fifth consecutive.
But just which teams stand a chance in dethroning these two powerhouses? With the new alignment kicking in next season the hotbed for boy’s basketball in AA has to be the new district 4AA. With Brookhaven, Bowling Green, and Columbia in the same district there will be some great basketball and an even better district tournament. If I’m ASC or Central Hinds, I would order Tums in bulk.
Brookhaven will lose three seniors, Blaine Roberts, Josh Winborne, and Jeremy Foster. But make no mistake, there are some underclassmen waiting to step in. While the Cougars lose three integral components of their championship squad, they do have Jamison Powell returning to run the point. One of the most complete basketball players in AA returns in Jake Reed. Reed can nail 3-pointers, drive to the basket, solid ball handler, and has one of the sweetest jump hooks you’ll ever see, and plays with tenacity. The remaining key player returning is Sidney Chaffin. The 6’5 sophomore had a solid season and will undoubtedly be a player to watch over the next two seasons.
Bowling Green loses four seniors, two of which are starters. Andrew Wood ran the point at times, he was a solid 3-point shooter, and was reliable at the 2-guard position. Blake McGehee’s game improved as the season progressed and the senior guard had some clutch baskets and steals down the stretch for the Buccaneers. The nucleus of the team returns with Jaron Edwards and Shod Fortenberry. Edwards made a loud splash at the guard spot and led the team in scoring in his first season at Bowling Green. The 6’2 guard is one of the best all around players in AA and possesses the ability to drive, nail 3-pointers, excellent ball handler, and as some noticed, plays well above the rim. Fortenberry was probably one of the most improved players in AA South as the 6’6 junior exhibited solid post play, a soft touch from 12-15 feet, and he led the team in blocked shots. With the loss of two guards look for sophomore Buster Brown to step in next season and help fill the void. The sophomore can nail the 3-pointers and is a solid ball handler.
The Columbia Cougars had a disappointing end to their season as they lost in the first round of the south state tournament. The loss of senior Ryan Williams will hurt but with the return of Drew Broome, Jas Stringer, Brett Ricks, and one of the better guards in AA basketball, Tanner Pace, the Cougars should be in a position to take that next step.
These three teams will contend for a boy’s state championship next season.

On the girls side it will be a three team race also. Brookhaven, Columbia, and Prairie View will be in the lead to try and dethrone the Leake Lady Rebels. Two dark horses could be Silliman and Bowling Green.
Brookhaven is loaded with young players. The Lady Cougars started one senior, two sophomores, and two freshmen. Nicole Smith will be lost to graduation but two of the better guards in South AA, Terah Winborne and Laura Beth Wright, will return and compliment one of the best centers in AA basketball in Anna Mangold. Brookhaven will be favored to reach the state title game next season.
Prairie View finished another quality season of basketball as the Lady Spartans cruised through district 3AA a perfect 10-0. While the early departure at the state tournament at the hands of Marshall Academy was disappointing the Lady Spartans will return one of the best point guards in AA basketball. Caroline Oliphant will return for her senior season and will look to get Prairie View farther into the post season. Forward Logan Tubbs will also be returning for her senior season.
Columbia Academy took the court each night this past season with a roster full of underclassmen. Sophomore Ashton Scarborough emerged as one of the better players in district 4AA. Hannah Martin had a solid sophomore season as well and another starter, Olivia Ryals, returns for her senior season. The Lady Cougars only lose one senior, Anna Marie Smith, and will be in the thick of things next season.

In the north I have to give the edge to Marshall’s boys who had no seniors and only three juniors on their roster. The Patriots qualified for the state tournament this season and should be much improved come next season. I’d have to pencil Simpson in as a sleeper team. The Cougars will lose Jordan Ainsworth but return four starters from a squad that many thought was one of the most talented around.

As for the north girls……Leake graduates two seniors but returns all five starters from this year’s state championship team. Marshall had a great year but will have trouble filling the void left by the graduation of Traci Rodgers. Advantage Leake.

see ya…………

A Few Post Season Favorites

Oak Forest Girls Basketball

Oak Forest girls advance to semi-finals at Overall
By Darron Thomas
After taking the AA South State Championship nearly two weeks ago the Oak Forest Lady Jackets had high hopes of continuing that run through the state tournament in Brookhaven last week. And with 42 seconds remaining in their semi-final game against Marshall their chances of advancing to the title game looked promising. But Marshall overtook Oak Forest in the closing 27 seconds of the game to deal the Lady Jackets a stinging defeat 50-45. Then a lackluster performance against Brookhaven in the consolation game had many thinking Oak Forest would make a quick appearance at the Overall Tournament and call it a season. Now after two rounds have been completed the Lady Jackets again enter the semi-finals and again they will face Marshall.

Oak Forest took out Jackson Prep 45-39 in round one behind Cassie Bennett’s 19 points and 7 rebounds. Bennett was a torrid 9-11 from the field. Lauren Brumfield added 11 points and 7 boards, and Ashlyn Neal chipped in with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
The Lady Jackets seemed to have gotten their second wind after the state tournament and proceeded to dispose of Riverdale on Wednesday 55-31. Bennett had another stellar game with 16 points on 8-10 shooting from the field. Lauren Brumfield added 12, Lindsey Oliver 10, Ashlyn Neal and Brittani Roy 8 each.
Now they are one win away from playing in the Overall Championship game on Saturday. The only thing in their way is some unfinished business with the Marshall Academy Lady Patriots. What was missing in the state semi-final game is no longer absent…..Oak Forest Lady Jackets basketball.

Big “Shout Out” to Oak Forest head coach Jody Fekete. Coach Fekete obviously had his girls prepared and focused. Also a “Shout Out” to the Lady Jackets for showing a no quit attitude and those four seniors that start each game can be proud of what they have accomplished while at Oak Forest.

*note* Cassie Bennett is an amazing 17-21 from the field in the first and second round games.

AA State All Tournament Teams

Boy's All Tournament Team
Davin Riebock - Canton
Patrick Clark - Lee
Jaron Edwards - Bowling Green
Shod Fortenberry - Bowling Green
David Hahn - Chamberlain-Hunt
Chase Deculus - Chamberlain-Hunt
Blaine Roberts - Brookhaven
Jake Reed - Brookhaven
Josh Winborne - Brookhaven
Jamison Powell - Brookhaven

Girl's All Tournament Team
Cassie Bennett - Oak Forest
Ashlyn Neal - Oak Forest
Nicole Smith - Brookhaven
Terah Winborne - Brookhaven
Callie Clanton - Marshall
Emily Burk - Marshall
Traci Rodgers - Marshall
Hannah Peoples - Leake
Jenny Wilbanks - Leake
Emily Kea - Leake

AA State Semi-Finals

Cougars, Cadets to battle for title

By Darron Thomas

It has all come down to one game, a game that is a result of a season’s worth of hard work and dedication. Two teams will fight for the right to claim the title AA State Champions. Brookhaven will be seeking to do what no other MPSA team has ever done, win five straight state championships. Chamberlain-Hunt has entered foreign territory and is a substantial underdog against the Cougars but, if I had to guess, that’s probably the way head coach David Granville wants it.
On Friday night the Chamberlain-Hunt Cadets entered the semi-final match up against Bowling Green as underdogs after losing to the Buccaneers just one week ago in the AA South State semi-finals. After the first five minutes of the opening quarter it looked as though the Cadets were in for a long night as Bowling Green jumped out to a 10-3 lead after a Shod Fortenberry basket. Chase Deculus kept the Cadets close as the sophomore converted on a basket plus one with 2:37 left in the quarter and after a Jaron Edwards 12 footer from the baseline put Bowling Green back up 12-6 Deculus hit another basket to pull the Cadets to within four at 12-8. Bowling Green’s Andrew Wood would hit a 8 foot jumper to end the quarter with Bowling Green up 14-8.
Bowling Green opened the second quarter with a Shod Fortenberry basket to go up 16-8 but Chamberlain-Hunt answered with six straight, a Keeniel Weaver basket and two David Hahn scores with 4:56 left in the quarter trimmed the deficit to 16-14. Two Andrew Wood 3-pointers and a 3-pointer from sophomore Buster Brown pushed Bowling Green’s lead back to eleven at 25-14 with 2:45 left in the opening quarter. Each team would trade baskets on the next two possessions and a David Hahn turnaround jumper ended the first half with the Cadets trailing Bowling Green 29-20.

(Above) Chamberlain-Hunt center David Hahn led the Cadets with 26 points
Jaron Edwards opened the third quarter with a steal and bucket to extend the Bowling Green lead to 31-20. It was at this point in the game that the Cadets turned to their “Uze” for help. Ifanyi Uzuegbunum is affectionately nicknamed “Uze” and the junior guard would score nine of his thirteen points in the quarter to keep the Cadets close. Another junior guard, Keeniel Weaver, gave Chamberlain-Hunt their first lead of the night at 36-35 on a steal and basket with 46 seconds left in the quarter. David Hahn nailed a 6 foot turnaround jumper with 7 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 38-35 after three quarters of play.
Bowling Green jumped back on top on two Jaron Edwards 3-pointers and an Edwards free throw at the 6:10 mark increased the Buc’s lead to 42-38. With Bowling Green up 45-43 Josh McNair hit a bucket with 3:15 left to tie the game at 45-45, and a David Hahn deuce followed by two Chase Deculus free throws had the Cadets holding a 49-45 lead with 2:12 remaining in regulation. Jaron Edwards pulled Bowling Green back to within two at 49-47 with a floater over David Hahn. Over the next 1:20 two Cadet turnovers set the stage for Dylan Varnado who calmly nailed a 10 footer to tie the game at 49-49 with 29 seconds left. Chamberlain-Hunt turned the ball over again on their next possession but Bowling Green could not convert as they game headed into overtime.
In the first overtime period Bowling Green would get two Jaron Edwards free throws to go up 51-49, but an Ifanyi Uze basket with just over two minutes left tied the game again at 51-51. Dylan Varnado gave Bowling Green the lead again at 53-51 on a 8 foot jumper with 1:26 left. After a Chamberlain-Hunt turnover Bowling Green got to the free throw line but couldn’t convert with 45 seconds left and on the Cadets possession center David Hahn was fouled with 19 seconds on the clock. The 7 footer missed both free throws but Ifanyi Uze grabbed the second miss and converted a bucket to tie the game at 53-53 with 16 seconds left in the first overtime period. Bowling Green’s shot to win fell short and the first overtime period ended at 53-53.
Chamberlain-Hunt went up 55-53 quickly on a David Hahn basket at the 3:30 mark of the second overtime period and the Cadets converted three free throws over the next two minutes to increase the lead to 58-53 with just over a minute left. Bowling Green battled back with Shod Fortenberry nailing two free throws and a Blake McGehee steal and basket with 31 seconds left pulled the Bucs back to within one at 58-57. Chamberlain-Hunt’s Keeniel Weaver was fouled with 18 seconds left and converted on one of two free throws to give the Cadets a 59-57 lead. On Bowling Green’s possession Chamberlain-Hunt committed a foul on a loose ball, but with 8 seconds on the clock the Buccaneers couldn’t convert at the line. David Hahn was fouled and sank two free throws with 5 seconds left to secure a 61-57 double overtime win.
Chamberlain-Hunt was led by David Hahn with 26 points, Ifanyi Uzuebunum added 13, Chase Deculus had 10, Keeniel Weaver 9, Josh Mcnair 2, and Jalen Ellinton 1.
Jaron Edwards led Bowling Green with 26 points, Andrew Wood and Shod Fortenberry added 11 each, Dylan Varnado 4, Buster Brown 3, and Blake McGehee 2.
Chamberlain-Hunt improved to 20-7 with the win and will match up with Brookhaven tonight at 7:15pm for the AA State Championship.
Bowling Green slipped to 29-6 and will face Lee Academy in the consolation game at 6:00pm.

In the second semi-final game last night the Lee Academy Colts, fresh off a first round upset of Trinity, faced the Brookhaven Cougars for the right to meet Chamberlain-Hunt in tonight’s championship game. Lee’s hopes of pulling off the second semi-final upset of the night held firm throughout the first quarter as the Colts spotted Brookhaven a 9-3 lead after a Jeremy Foster 3-pointer with 3:37 to go in the quarter but battled back to within one point at 9-8 on two Douglas Smith free throws at the 2:21 mark. Brookhaven’s Blaine Roberts would drain a basket from the elbow to give the Cougars a 11-8 lead after one quarter.

(Above) Josh Winborne (#14) led the Cougars with 15 points
After an Anthony Steen free throw one minute into the second quarter pulled the Colts to within two at 11-9 the defending state champs would go on a trademark Brookhaven run the remaining seven minutes which was highlighted by 3-point baskets from Jeremy Foster and Josh Winborne to take a 25-13 advantage into the half.
The run continued into the third quarter as Brookhaven’s Sidney Chaffin nailed a 3-pointer at the 7:34 mark followed by buckets from Jake Reed and Josh Winborne to extend the lead to 32-13 with just over six minutes left in the quarter. Brookhaven garnered their biggest lead at 42-20 on another Winborne basket at the 2:29 mark. Lee’s Douglas Smith mustered up a deuce to end the quarter with the Cougars enjoying a comfortable 42-22 lead heading into the final period.
Brookhaven wouldn’t allow the Lee Colts to within 21 points in the fourth quarter and at the 4:48 mark the Cougars earned their biggest lead of the night at 50-24 on an assist from Blaine Roberts to Jeremy Foster. The Cougars advanced to tonight’s title game with a convincing 56-29 win. (Above) Lee Academy had trouble cracking the Brookhaven defense
Brookhaven (28-9) was led by senior Josh Winborne with 15 points, Jake Reed added 11, Jeremy Foster and Sidney Chaffin had 8 each, Jamison Powell 6, Blaine Roberts 5, and Jake Shelby 2.
Douglas Smith led Lee with 11 points, Patrick Clark, Chase Crompton, and Anthony Steen had 5 each, and Trent Williams 3.
Lee and Bowling Green will play the consolation game this evening at 6:00pm followed by the championship game between Brookhaven and Chamberlain-Hunt.

Leake and Marshall to decide girls championship

In the girls semi-final early game yesterday Oak Forest’s quest for a state championship was halted by the Lady Patriots of Marshall 50-45. The Lady Jackets got off to an impressive start after an Ashlyn Neal basket put OFA up 8-3 with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter. A Lindsey Oliver basket on the Lady Jacket’s next possession extended the lead to 10-3, but Marshall would finish the quarter by outscoring Oak Forest 9-2 highlighted by an Emily Burk 3-pointer to tie the game with 5 seconds left in the period.
Marshall gained their first lead at 13-12 on a Kelsey Shaw free throw to start the second quarter but a Cassie Bennett turnaround jumper from 7 feet put the Lady Jackets back on top at 14-13 with 7:28 on the clock. In an exciting second quarter that included four lead changes and a tie Marshall would get two 12 foot jumpers from senior Traci Rodgers to finish the half with a 23-22 lead.

(Above) Marshall's Traci Rodgers (#4) defended by Brittani Roy of Oak Forest
Marshall came out in the second half on fire from the field as Traci Rodgers picked up where she left off before the half. Rodgers hit a bucket 20 seconds into the third quarter and Kelsey Shaw nailed a 3-pointer to give the Lady Patriots a 28-22 lead with 7:00 left in the quarter. At the 5:00 mark another Marshall 3-pointer pushed the lead to 34-26 resulting in an Oak Forest timeout. A Rodgers drive and bucket in the lane gave Marshall their biggest lead at 36-26 with four minutes left in the third quarter. With 10 seconds left in the quarter a Lindsey Oliver bucket pulled Oak Forest to within seven at 39-32 heading into the final period.
Lauren Brumfield’s offensive rebound and put back started the fourth quarter and cut the Lady Jacket deficit to five at 39-34, then with 5:41 left Cassie Bennett converted two free throws to make it a 41-38 contest. Following a Marshall turnover, Ashlyn Neal’s basket pulled the Lady Jackets to within one at 41-40 with 4:50 remaining. A Callie Canton free throw increased the lead to 42-40 but a Lauren Brumfield assist to Ashlyn Neal tied things up at 42-42 with just under three minutes left in the game. Both squads traded turnovers before Cassie Bennett nailed down two free throws with 1:55 left to give Oak Forest a 44-42 lead. Lauren Brumfield converted on one of two free throws to give the Lady Jackets a three point lead at 45-42 with 57 seconds left in the game. Marshall would then pull down an offensive rebound and get a basket with 42 seconds left to pull to 45-44 and took the lead at 46-45 after another Oak Forest turnover on two Traci Rodgers free throws with 27 seconds left on the clock. Rodgers was put back on the line following a Lady Jacket turnover and nailed two more to increase the lead to 48-45 with 19 seconds left. An Oak Forest 3-point attempt fell short with 9 seconds on the clock. Marshall’s Traci Rodgers was fouled and went back to the line and hit two more free throws to cement a 50-45 win and a trip into today’s championship game.

(Above) Lindsey Oliver (#10) of Oak Forest surveys the Marshall defense
Marshall got a game high 22 points from Traci Rodgers, Emily Burk added 12, Callie Clanton had 8, Molly West and Kelsey Shaw had 4 each.
Oak Forest (33-4) was led by Cassie Bennett with 14 points, Ashlyn Neal added 12, Lauren Brumfield 9, Lindsey Oliver 6, and Brittani Roy 4.

In the second girls semi-final match up the Leake Lady Rebels squared off against the Brookhaven Lady Cougars to earn the right to face Marshall for the AA State Championship. Leake entered the game as the defending state champions and current #1 team in AA basketball.
Laura Beth Wright got things started with a basket to put Brookhaven up early at 2-0. Emily Kea’s offensive rebound and put back got Leake on the board at the 6:51 mark of the opening quarter. The Lady Rebels grabbed their first lead at 6-4 on two Hannah Peoples free throws with 4:19 left in the first quarter. Following an Emily Kea basket to up the Leake lead to 8-4 Brookhaven freshman Terah Winborne converted on two fast break baskets and a free throw to vault the Lady Cougars to a 9-8 lead with 2:38 left in the quarter. Leake then outscored Brookhaven 6-2 to finish the quarter with a slim 14-11 advantage.

(Above) Brookhavens's Anna Mangold (#33) calls for the ball
A 10-0 run from four different scorers ran the Leake lead out to 24-11 at the halfway point of the second quarter. Brookhaven got a Nicole Smith basket with 2:53 left in the half and an Anna Mangold bucket off an inbounds play to cut the lead to 24-15 with 1:43 left in the third quarter. Leake would take a 28-17 cushion into halftime on an Emily Kea 15 footer off the glass at the buzzer.
Despite a huge 12 point third quarter from Leake’s Emily Kea, the Lady Cougars stayed within striking distance and played Leake to a 12-10 third quarter, advantage Leake.
Brookhaven entered the final quarter looking at a 40-27 deficit and could get no closer than nine points until an Anna Lofton 3-pointer got the Lady Cougars to within eight at 48-40 with 2:53 left in the game. The Leake lead dwindled to six at 50-44 on a Laura Beth Wright jumper from the free throw line with 1:58 left on the clock. Leake increased their lead to 55-47 on a Jenny Wilbanks free throw with 23 seconds left. A Laura Beth Wright bucket made it 55-49 with 12 seconds on the clock and Hannah Peoples added another free throw with 7 seconds remaining to push the lead to 56-49. Brookhaven’s Summer Calhoun hit a 3-pointer at the horn to provide the final points of the night and a final score of 56-52.

The Leake Lady Rebels advance to today’s championship battle with Marshall with a tip time of 2:15pm.

Leake’s Emily Kea had a game high 32 points on 16/22 shooting from the field, Hannah Peoples added 13 points, Jenny Wilbanks had 7, and Char’Lesa Tadlock 4.

Brookhaven was led by Laura Beth Wright with 15 points, Terah Winborne added 11, Anna Lofton 9, Anna Mangold 8, Nicole Smith 6, and Summer Calhoun 3.

The Lady Cougars will play Oak Forest at 1:00pm today in the girls consolation game.

MPSA AA State Tournament

AA State semi-finals set for Friday
By Darron Thomas
The Bowling Green Buccaneers advanced to the semi-finals of the AA State Tournament last night in Brookhaven, Mississippi for the second consecutive year with a hard fought 55-49 win over Marshall Academy.
Bowling Green would jump out to an early 8-0 lead behind the torrid shooting of senior guard Andrew Wood who nailed two 3-pointers and a 10 foot jumper from the baseline in the first minute and a half of the opening quarter. Marshall would notch their first basket at the 4:51 mark on a Caleb Martin 12 footer. Bowling Green would finish the first quarter with a Jaron Edwards floater in the paint and two Shod Fortenberry jumpers to push the Buc’s lead to 14-3 after one quarter of play.
Marshall got right back into the contest as they started the second quarter with a 6-2 run to trim the Patriot deficit to 16-9 with just under six minutes left in the second quarter. After a Jaron Edwards transition bucket, Marshall’s Jake Omedeo grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a bucket of his own to keep the Patriots close at 18-11 with 4:05 left in the half. Both squads would trade 3-point baskets with Andrew Wood nailing one from the corner and Jake Omedeo of Marshall sinking one with two minutes left and the score 21-14. Andrew Wood of Bowling Green drained his thirteenth point of the half on a 15 footer from the baseline with 4 seconds remaining in the opening half to give the Buccaneers a 23-14 lead. (Above) Marshall's Jordan Brock attempts a shot over Bowling Green's Buster Brown
Marshall stormed out in the opening minutes of the third quarter with a 9-0 run to tie things up at 23-23 with 5:35 left in the third quarter. Bowling Green went back up 25-23 on their next possession on a 17 foot Jaron Edwards jumper. At the 2:49 mark of the quarter Marshall would grab their first lead of the game with a John Tomlinson basket off a Bowling Green turnover to give the Patriots a 30-29 lead. In the last two minutes of the quarter there would be six lead changes with neither team able to build more than a one point cushion. Marshall finished the quarter on a Taylor Maurey basket to give the Patriots a 36-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
Marshall’s hopes of pulling an upset were dashed as Bowling Green opened the fourth quarter by going on a 10-0 run to put the Bucs up 45-36 with 5:40 left in the game. In that 10-0 run Bowling Green got critical points from the bench as Dylan Varnado and Buster Brown combined for eight of the ten. Marshall answered with five straight points to pull to within four at 45-41 at the halfway point of the final quarter but would get no closer as Bowling Green maintained a least a four point advantage throughout the final four minutes. The Buccaneers got baskets from Dylan Varnado and Andrew Wood in crunch time during those final minutes to preserve the first round win and a slot in Friday’s semi-finals.
Bowling Green was led by senior Andrew Wood with 17 points, junior Dylan Varnado added 12, junior Jaron Edwards had 11, Shod Fortenberry and Buster Brown 6 each, and Blake McGehee had 2.
Taylor Maurey led Marshall with 12 points, Caleb Byrd added 11, Chase Ferrell, Joey Omedeo, and John Tomlinson had 8 each, and Aaron McAlexander had 2.
Bowling Green (29-5) will battle Chamberlain-Hunt (19-7) Friday at 6:00pm. This will be a rematch of last Friday’s semi-final game at AA South State in Gallman, Mississippi in which Bowling Green stopped Chamberlain-Hunt 57-44. The winner will advance to Saturday’s AA State Championship game.


The Chamberlain-Hunt Cadets punched their first ever AA State semi-final ticket on Wednesday night with a nail-biting 51-49 win over the Canton Panthers. The Cadets will match up with Bowling Green on Friday at 6:00pm.
Chamberlain-Hunt’s 7 footer David Hahn got the Cadets on the board on their first possession as he muscled to the basket for an easy lay-in. Canton’s patient and deliberate offense in the first quarter slowed the game down to a snail’s crawl and was painful to watch from a fan’s perspective but it proved to be effective as the game wore on. The Panthers got a Davin Riebock 3-pointer with almost four minutes gone in the opening quarter to go up 3-2. David Hahn would put CHA back on top at 4-3 at the 4:30 mark and the big man would convert on a basket plus one with 1:49 left to give the Cadets a 7-3 lead. Davin Riebock’s steal and bucket with 43 seconds remaining would close out the first quarter with Canton trailing 7-5. (Above) Chamberlain-Hunt center David Hahn caused match up problems for Canton
The second quarter pace picked up just a bit as Canton scored the first four points to take their first lead at 9-7 with one minute gone in the quarter. David Hahn then began taking over as the Wildcat’s center netted ten of the team’s twelve second quarter points. Two of those points were highlighted by a smooth turnaround jump hook at the 5:17 mark of the quarter. Chamberlain-Hunt would take a 19-15 lead into halftime.
The second half would exhibit one of the better performances of the tournament as Canton senior Davin Riebock poured in 20 points to keep his Panthers close. After Riebock opened the second half with a basket to pull Canton to within one at 19-18, Chamberlain-Hunt put together a 10-1 run culminating on a David Hahn jumper from the elbow to go up 29-19 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. Senior point guard Josh McNair of CHA would foul out with 1:08 left in the quarter and Canton would close out the remaining minute with a free throw and a Riebock 3-pointer from the corner to trail 31-25 entering the final quarter of play.
Chamberlain-Hunt got their biggest lead of the night at 40-30 on an Ifanyi Uzuegbunum basket plus one with 6:10 left in the game. Canton then scored nine straight points to pull to within one at 40-39 with 4:30 remaining. After an Uzuegbunum bucket put CHA up 42-39, Canton’s Riebock would nail another 3-pointer with four minutes left in the quarter to knot things up at 42-42. Four David Hahn free throws and a Chase Deculus deuce would put the Cadets back up 48-42 with three minutes left. With the score 50-44 Davin Riebock drained another 3-pointer from the wing to pull the Panthers to within three with two minutes left in the game. After two missed free throws from Chamberlain-Hunt the margin would be trimmed to 50-49 on an Eddie Drane floater in the paint just over the fingertips of center David Hahn with 1:08 left. Both squads would trade turnovers and with CHA in possession Canton fouled Chase Deculus with 3 seconds remaining. Deculus converted on one of two free throws to give the Cadets a 51-49 lead with 3 seconds left. Canton then called a timeout to set up a last second attempt to win. Those last 3 seconds had to be the longest 3 seconds for Cadets head coach David Granville as he watched a perfectly designed inbounds play that got the ball into Riebock’s hands on Canton’s end of the court. The shot from six feet beyond the three point line fell just short as Chamberlain-Hunt escaped with a narrow 51-49 win to advance. (Above) Chamberlain-Hunt's Chase Deculus gets rejected by Canton's Eddie Drane
David Hahn led Chamberlain-Hunt with 23 points, Chase Deculus added 15 (13 in the 2nd half), Ifanyi Uzuegbunum had 9, Josh McNair and Jalen Ellington with 2 each.
Canton was led by Davin Riebock with 29 points (six 3-pointers), Michael Jerome added 9, Eddie Drane had 6, Chaz Dickens 3, and John Willis 2.

In girls action from yesterday the Brookhaven Lady Cougars reached familiar territory once again as they advanced to the final four with a tough 48-40 win over the Indianola Lady Colonels. Coach Barry Gray’s squad broke a 6-6 tie at the two minute mark of the opening quarter on a Terah Winborne 3-pointer followed by a Nicole Smith basket to finish out the first quarter with a 11-6 advantage. (Above) Brookhaven's Anna Mangold
Indianola’s Jordan Dodson opened the second quarter by hitting three straight baskets to give the Lady Colonels a 12-11 lead with 5:25 left in the quarter. In a quarter that produced seven lead changes and one tie Brookhaven would go up 21-17 on a Laura Beth Wright basket with just under two minutes left in the half. A Kelsey Kovarcik 3-pointer with 8 seconds to go pull Indianola to within two points at 22-20, but Brookhaven’s Anna Lofton sank two free throws with 1 second left to push the Lady Cougar lead to 24-20 at halftime.
Brookhaven would grab their biggest at 26-20 on an Anna Mangold bucket with 6:50 left in the third quarter. The Lady Cougars would head into the final quarter with a slim 34-29 lead. A 9-0 run to start the final quarter quickly extended the Brookhaven lead to 43-29 and at the 2:02 mark of the quarter Indianola’s Swayze Carithers would get the Lady Colonels back to within eight points at 45-37. Brookhaven senior Nicole Smith would convert on critical free throws down the stretch as the Lady Cougars advanced with a 48-40 win. Nicole Smith led Brookhaven with 14 points, Terah Winborne added 11, Anna Lofton and Anna Mangold had 8 each, Laura Beth Wright had 6 points along with 13 rebounds, and Marion Allen had 1.
Indianola was led by Jordan Dodson with 12 points, Courtney Wilson had 9, Kelsey Kovarcik 6, Swayze Carithers 4, Lauren Leard 3, and Alex Domino, Carson Vickers, and Beth Jolly had 2 each.

Brookhaven improved to 34-5 and will play #1 ranked Leake on Friday at 2:15pm.
Indianola finishes out the season at 32-8.

In the first contest of the day the Prairie View Lady Spartan’s quest for a state championship ended as the Marshall Lady Patriots came from behind to earn a 37-34 win and a slot in the semi-finals.
Prairie View got out to their trademark fast start and took a 10-5 led into the second quarter. A Caroline Oliphant 3-pointer with just over one minute remaining in the half extended the Lady Spartan’s lead to 20-10, but Marshall would close the half with a 3-pointer of their own to pull back to within seven at 20-13 heading into the second half. (Above) Prairie View's Caroline Oliphant puts up a shot in the final seconds
Marshall slowly inched their way back into the game in the third quarter and at the 5:04 mark a Traci Rodgers bucket trimmed the deficit to 28-24. After a Logan Tubbs offensive rebound and put back put Prairie View up 31-24, Marshall would score the next ten points and take a 34-31 lead with just over one minute left in the game. Prairie View pulled to within one point at 34-33 on a Jerri Ann Lord basket with 34 seconds remaining and Marshall’s Traci Rodgers was fouled and converted on one of two free throws to give the Lady Patriots a two point lead at 35-33. Prairie View’s Caroline Oliphant was fouled while attempting to tie things up but missed the second of two free throws with 9 seconds left in the game. Two Emily Burk free throws sealed up the Lady Patriots 37-34 win and a slot in Friday’s semi-final action. Senior Traci Rodgers had a game high 21 points to lead Marshall, Callie Clanton and Emily Burk had 5 each, and Kelsey Shaw added 3.
For Prairie View, Caroline Oliphant had 14 points, Lena Kate Thompson and Logan Tubbs had 7 each, Jerri Ann Lord, Kalynn Osbon, and Catherine Coats had 2 each.
Marshall improved to 31-8 and will play Oak Forest on Friday at 1:00pm.
Prairie View ended their season with a 33-6 record.

AA State Tournament

AA State Playoffs get underway in Brookhaven

By Darron Thomas
The MPSA AA State playoffs got underway yesterday in Brookhaven, Mississippi with four games on the schedule. At the end of the day four teams advanced to the semi-finals on Friday and four teams went home for the season. Big crowds gathered to watch the first day of basketball with three of the four match ups going as many had expected, but one team got bit by the upset bug.
The Trinity Saints entered yesterday’s first round match up with Lee Academy as the #2 seed from the south after falling to Bowling Green in the AA South State championship game this past Saturday night. When it was all over the Lee Academy Colts advanced to the next round with a 47-39 upset of the Saints. Putting a healthy five on the court for coach David King was a challenge last night as Trinity had been hit by the virus bug. Senior Jackson Bryant didn’t make the trip due to illness and several Trinity players put forth valiant efforts while being sick.

Lee got out to a solid start in the first quarter with the outside shooting of senior guard Patrick Clark and the inside game of Douglas Smith. The Colts got out to an early 10-4 lead but Trinity closed out the opening quarter on a Brandon Daggs 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 12-10. Trinity would tie the game at 12-12 on a Brandon Daggs steal and basket at the 6:08 mark of the second quarter and a Kent King 3-pointer less than a minute later gave the Saints their first lead of the game at 15-12. A no look pass from King to Giovonni Dent for a basket pushed the Trinity lead to 17-12 on the next possession. The Colts got a 12 foot jumper from Chase Crumpton and a bucket from center Anthony Steen to pull back to within one at 17-16 with just over three minutes left in the half. A Brandon Daggs deuce at the 1:17 mark of the quarter would close out the first half scoring with Trinity up 19-16.

(Above) Trinity's Brandon Daggs gets a shot over Patrick Clark of Lee
Lee opened up the third quarter on a 9-2 run to retake the lead 25-21 with just over one minute remaining in the third. Lee would covert on three of four free throws to extend the lead to 28-21 with just over 10 seconds left in the third quarter but a Giovonni Dent 3-pointer at the buzzer would keep the Saints close at 28-24 heading into the final quarter.

Giovonni Dent’s assist to Andrew Johnson started the fourth quarter and pulled the Saints to within two at 28-26, but as the final quarter wore on the Saints were unable to overtake the Colts. Trinity pulled to within two once more at 34-32 on a Brandon Daggs 8 footer with just under four minutes left. But in a game that was reminiscent of Saturday night’s game against Bowling Green the Saints were unable to pull ahead in the second half. Lee converted on 9/14 free throws in the final quarter to secure a 47-39 win and advance to the semi-finals on Friday to meet the Brookhaven Cougars.
(Above) Trinity's Andrew Johnson rejects the shot of Lee's Douglas Smith
The Lee Colts were led by Patrick Clark with 10 points, Douglas Smith added 9, Chase Crumpton had 8, Anthony Steen and Ben True had 7 each, and Taylor Tidwell 6.

Brandon Daggs led Trinity with 20 points, Giovonni Dent added 10, Andrew Johnson 4, Kent King 3, and Bryant Pearson 2.
(Above) Lee Academy student section was loud and proud!
The Lee Colts have a solid club with decent size and quality guard play. I don’t know if I’ve seen a center with the girth as Anthony Steen…this young man is big. Great job by Lee head coach Robert Daniels.

(Above) Brookhaven's Jeremy Foster gets off a 3-pointer over Leake's Austin Byrd
In the final contest of the evening the Brookhaven Cougars made a definitive statement to the field of teams looking to unseat them as the defending state champions with a sound 73-44 win over the Leake Rebels.
Leake would jump out to a 5-0 lead on a Grant Wilson 3-pointer and a Brian Saxon basket with 5:36 left in the opening quarter. Josh Winborne would get the Cougars on the board with a 10 foot baseline jumper at the 4:54 mark and the senior got the Cougars to within one at 5-4 on a driving basket on the next possession to force a Leake timeout. Brookhaven took their first lead at 7-5 on a Jake Reed lay-in plus one with 3:32 left in the quarter. Winborne bucketed his ninth point of the opening quarter on a 3-pointer at the horn to give Brookhaven a 19-10 lead after one period.

The tone was set by Brookhaven as the Cougar defense forced nothing but long range jumpers from the Leake Rebels. As points were at a premium for Leake they came in bunches from the defending state champs as the lead quickly swelled to 25-10 on a Jake Reed end to end drive culminating with a left handed shot off the glass with just over three minutes gone in the second quarter. Senior Austin Byrd would keep Leake to within eleven points at 32-21 on a 3-pointer just before the half ended.
(Above) Brookhaven student section leaving no doubt who was the loudest!
Brookhaven opened the second half on a 6-0 run to grab their biggest lead of the game at 38-21. Leake managed to cut the lead to 43-31 on a Brian Saxon 3-pointer with two minutes left in the third quarter but Brookhaven would get a Jamison Powell free throw and a Josh Winborne feed from Jeremy Foster for a basket to end the quarter up 46-31.
Leake would get no closer than thirteen points in the final quarter as Brookhaven earned a 73-44 first round win over the Leake Rebels to advance to the semi-finals on Friday. Brookhaven will match up with the Lee Colts at 7:15pm.

Junior Jake Reed led Brookhaven with 23 points and 14 rebounds, senior Josh Winborne added 15 points, junior Jamison Powell had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Blaine Roberts had 9 points and 6 assists.

Leake was led by seniors Brian Saxon with 15, Austin Byrd with 11, and Crosby McDonald 8.

All the talk about Brookhaven not playing well and whether they would advance was quickly put to rest. They seemed to be hitting on all cylinders last night with Jake Reed in particular looking sharp on both ends of the court. Leake had problems getting into the paint all night on offense and to those of us that have watched Brookhaven basketball over the years it’s not likely anyone will beat the Cougars with only a perimeter game. Lee should match up with Brookhaven a little better than Leake was able to do but the Colt’s big men had better sleep well Thursday night, the pace is about to quicken!


The Oak Forest Lady Jackets opened up the AA State Tournament yesterday with a dominating 66-22 win over the Manchester Lady Mavs. Oak Forest, fresh off their AA South State Championship last Saturday, wasted little time in getting out to a 14-2 lead on a Brittani Roy 3-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter. Senior point guard Lindsey Oliver’s basket with 4 seconds left closed out the opening quarter with the Lady Jackets sporting a 19-4 lead.

(Above) Ashlyn Neal of Oak Forest with a six foot jumper against Manchester
Oak Forest pushed out to a 39-12 halftime lead over Manchester and opened the third quarter on a Lauren Brumfield 3-pointer to increase the lead to 42-12. The Lady Jackets would begin mass substitutions with a 57-18 lead at the 3:00 mark of the third quarter. Oak Forest advances to semi-finals for the second consecutive year with a 66-22 win over Manchester and will meet the winner of today’s Marshall/Prairie View game. (Above) Cassie Bennett of Oak Forest defending the post against Manchester's Anne Helton
Oak Forest had ten players make it into the scoring column last night. Ashlyn Neal had a game high 16 points, Cassie Bennett added 12, Lindsey Oliver 9, Lauren Brumfield 8, Brittani Roy 6, Marissa Cannon and Chloe Woods 4 each, Jessica McClendon 3, and Meaghan Durand and Emma Brabham 2 each.

Randi Fagan led the Manchester Lady Mavs with 6 points, Sarah Bailey Roberts and Anne Franklin Helton added 4 each, and Lelah Bridgforth and Morgan Ledlow with 2 each.

The Manchester Lady Mavs are coached by Keith Martin.


In the other girls contest the Trinity Lady Saints gave a valiant effort against the Leake Lady Rebels. Trinity and the #1 ranked girls team in AA basketball were all knotted up at 16-16 after the first quarter. The Lady Saints defense kept Leake from racing out to the fast start that most people see from the basketball powerhouse from Madden, Mississippi. With the Lady Rebels up 14-8 Caroline Ketchings would nail a 3-pointer with 1:22 left in the opening quarter to pull Trinity to within three at 14-11. A Trinity free throw and a Bethany Ogden bucket with 42 seconds left tied things up at 14-14, but Leake’s Hannah Peoples sank two free throws to give the Lady Rebels a two point cushion as the quarter was coming to a close. Trinity’s Caroline Ketchings hit an 8 footer off the glass with 10 seconds left to tie things up at 16-16 to end the opening quarter.
(Above) Trinity's Lesley Pomeroy looks to inbound against Leake's Jenny Wilbanks
Leake took control in the opening minutes of the second quarter by outscoring Trinity 7-2 to take a 25-18 lead at the 4:38 mark of the period. Trinity’s Madelyn Cross, who sat out the past two games at south state due to illness, hit a basket and converted a free throw with just over two minutes left in the half to pull the Lady Saints to within four at 25-21. Another Madelyn Cross basket with 56 seconds left in the half made it a 26-25 contest, but Hannah Peoples (remember that name, 8th grader) sank a lay-in to close out the half with the Lady Rebels up 28-25.
(Above) Trinity's Caroline Ketchings drives the baseline against Leake
Leake would stretch the lead to 41-33 on a Jenny Wilbanks 3-pointer with 1:46 left in the third quarter, but the Lady Saints kept within striking distance as a Caroline Ketchings bucket trimmed the lead to 45-37 to end the quarter. Another Ketchings basket, this time a 3-pointer with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter, cut the Leake lead to 48-44. It was at this point that the Leake offense took charge with sophomore center Jenny Wilbanks nailing a 3-pointer and converting on three baskets in the paint from the midway point of the quarter untill the final score of 67-50. Leake put together a 41-25 second half to advance to the semi-finals on Friday against today’s Brookhaven/Indianola winner.

Leake was led by Jenny Wilbanks with 25 points, Emily Kea added 19, Hannah Peoples had 16, Char’Lesa Tadlock 5, Jessie Powers and Kelsey Harvey had 2 each.

Trinity was led by Caroline Ketchings with 22 points, Bethany Ogden added 13, Madelyn Cross 5, and Sidney McLeod 2.

Over the past two weeks it’s been great meeting so many new people and I really appreciate all the kind words and encouragement I’ve received. The first night of action was great as was the atmosphere. "Shout Out" to Lee’s student section for really “bringin” it last night, and as always, Brookhaven’s bunch was full of energy.

see ya…………

AA South State Championship Saturday

Bowling Green, Oak Forest claim AA South Titles
By Darron Thomas
The AA South State Tournament concluded last night in Gallman, Mississippi with Bowling Green winning the boys championship and Oak Forest capturing the girls. Both District 5AA squads will enter next week’s state tournament in Brookhaven as #1 seeds.

It was this time one year ago that Bowling Green and Trinity faced each other for the AA South State Championship in Columbia, Mississippi. In that contest the Trinity Saints would deal Bowling Green their first loss of the season in a bitter 50-38 defeat. The Buccaneers graduated all five starters from last season’s 33-3 team and many questions would arise as to how well Bowling Green would compete this season. That question was answered last night in Gallman as Bowling Green overcame a 25-21 halftime deficit to beat the Trinity Saints 63-57 to claim their first AA South State Championship since 1998.

Bowling Green started the contest with two quick baskets, one on a Dean King lay-in and the second on a Shod Fortenberry 12 foot jumper with 6:44 left in the opening quarter. The pace then slowed as both teams combined for only nine points to finish out the first quarter with Bowling Green up 9-4.

Trinity would grab their first lead of the game at the 5:00 mark of the second quarter at 12-11 on a Giovonni Dent 8 foot floater. With Trinity up 14-13 and 4:36 left in the half a Shod Fortenberry offensive rebound and basket put Bowling Green back on top at 15-14 which would set up maybe the most memorable basket of the tournament. On Trinity’s next possession Bowling Green junior Jaron Edwards got his hands on a Trinity turnover and threw down a monstrous dunk that caused the crowd to erupt and gave the Buccaneers a 17-14 lead. What seemed to be a huge momentum shift soon fizzled as Trinity showed why they’ve been ranked in the top 5 all season long. The Saints finished the quarter, which had five lead changes, on an impressive 11-4 run sparked by Jackson Bryant’s six points to give Trinity a 25-21 halftime advantage over Bowling Green.
(Below) Bowling Green's Shod Fortenberry (#20) defends against Trinity's Andrew Johnson (#23)

Bowling Green answered the Trinity run by scoring the first six points of the third quarter to put the Bucs back on top at 27-25. A Bryant Pearson basket with 5:48 left in the quarter would give Trinity a lead at 28-27, but that lead was short lived as Bowling Green’s Blake McGehee nailed a 3-pointer and a Fortenberry five footer of the glass gave Bowling Green a 36-31 cushion with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Trinity came right back with five straight points to knot things up at 36-36 at the 3:00 minute mark, but in the last two and a half minutes of the quarter three Blake McGehee baskets and a Jaron Edwards 3-pointer with 23 seconds left gave Bowling Green a 45-40 lead heading into the final period.

A Jaron Edwards assist to Shod Fortenberry for a bucket started out the fourth quarter and an Edwards 10 foot floater gave Bowling Green their biggest lead of the game at 49-40 with 6:20 left. RJ Fleming’s 3-pointer brought Trinity back to within seven at 55-48, and after two Jaron Edwards free throws, Brandon Daggs would drain a 3-pointer from twenty three feet as Trinity pulled to 57-51 with 2:43 left in the game. That lead shrunk to four at 57-53 on an Andrew Johnson offensive rebound and basket following a Bowling Green turnover. Shod Fortenberry would convert on one of two free throws to put the Bucs up 58-53 with 1:59 left and on Trinity’s next possession Bowling Green fouled Giovonni Dent who canned two free throws to pull the Saints to within three at 58-55 with 1:47 left in the game. Dylan Varnado made one of two free throws and Trinity center Andrew Johnson pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to get the Saints to within two at 59-57 with 1:22 remaining. Bowling Green’s Blake McGehee and Andrew Wood would sink four free throws in the final minute to preserve the 63-57 championship win.

“It was a great win for us tonight” said Bowling Green head coach Pat King. “It means a lot to our program and it’s the first South State Championship for Bowling Green since 1998. Tonight we had some great individual performances but it was a total team win. I pray that with this win our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be exalted.”

Bowling Green got a game high 26 points from junior Shod Fortenberry. Jaron Edwards added 17, Blake McGehee had 15, Andrew Wood and Dean King had 2 each, and Dylan Varnado 1.

Trinity was led by RJ Fleming, Brandon Daggs, and Giovonni Dent with 13 each, Andrew Johnson added 10, Jackson Bryant 6, and Bryant Pearson 2.

Bowling Green will move into the top spot in the AA rankings with a 28-5 record and will be matched up against Marshall next week at the state tournament in Brookhaven. Marshall is the #4 seed from the north.

Trinity, 28-8 and the #2 seed from the south, will be paired up next week with the #3 seed from the north, Lee Academy.


In the girl’s championship contest yesterday the Brookhaven Lady Cougars were pitted up against the Oak Forest Lady Jackets to determine the AA South State Championship and the #1 seed heading into next week’s state tournament in Brookhaven. Brookhaven entered yesterday’s game on a 22 game winning streak and a 33-4 record. Oak Forest went in fresh off winning the District 5AA Tournament after posting a perfect 10-0 regular season district mark. The last time these two squads were paired up was in the Brookhaven Christmas Tournament championship game in which Brookhaven edged out a two point victory over the Lady Jackets. Yesterday’s title game would prove to be just as exciting as Oak Forest erased a Brookhaven seven point second half lead to win the AA South State Championship 43-42.

In a first quarter that would be indicative of the entire game neither team could gain separation from the other as Brookhaven grabbed a 7-4 lead on an Anna Mangold feed to Laura Beth Wright with 3:37 to go in the opening quarter. Oak Forest Lady Jacket Cassie Bennett responded with two of her six points in the quarter on a 12 footer to pull to within one at 7-6. The quarter ended with Brookhaven holding a narrow 11-10 advantage.

The second quarter proved to be a defensive battle as neither team was able to mount an offensive run. Brookhaven did go up 16-10 in the quarter on two Laura Beth Wright free throws with 4:57 remaining until halftime. A Lauren Brumfield 3-pointer followed by a Brittani Roy bucket pulled the deficit back to one at 16-15 with 2:51 to go. Brookhaven increased the lead at 19-15 but Jessica McClendon would nail a basket with 14 seconds left to keep the Lady Jackets close at 19-17 as the half ended.

In the third quarter Oak Forest would take their first lead since 2-0 on a Lauren Brumfield 3-pointer to put the Lady Jackets up 22-20 at the 5:34 mark. A Cassie Bennett 17 footer from the baseline gave Oak Forest their biggest lead at 24-20 but Anna Mangold would throw in a bucket and free throw to start a Brookhaven 11-0 run to give the Lady Cougars a 31-24 lead with 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter. With the momentum having swung Brookhaven’s way Oak Forest was able to get a little back as they canned two baskets, one from Cassie Bennett and another from Ashlyn Neal on an inbounds play, to end the third quarter trailing only 31-28.
(Below) Cassie Bennett of Oak Forest with two of her 16 points

Oak Forest stayed within striking distance early on in the final quarter, and following a Brookhaven turnover, Lindsey Oliver made one of two free throws to knot things up at 34-34 with just over five minutes left in the game. Brookhaven added a free throw to go back up by one at 35-34 and with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter Oak Forest senior Cassie Bennett garnered her fourth personal foul. Nicole Smith canned one of two free throws to put Brookhaven up 36-34. Both teams traded baskets and, with 2:46 remaining in the game, Ashlyn Neal rebounded an Anna Mongold miss. An Oak Forest timeout at 1:51 would set the stage for the biggest shot of the game. Lauren Brumfield’s 3-pointer with 1:35 left in the game put Oak Forest on top 41-38. Cassie Bennett would foul out with 1:16 left putting Nicole Smith at the line. The senior canned both free throws to pull the Lady Cougars to within one point at 41-40. Oak Forest would get their next basket from Bennett’s replacement. Senior Marissa Cannon would get free under the basket to score the biggest two points of her life with 1:07 left to put Oak Forest up 43-40. A Brookhaven turnover with 55 seconds left seemed to have signaled an end to the game but an Oak Forest missed jump shot from 12 feet gave the Lady Cougars new life. Brookhaven freshman Laura Beth Wright calmly nailed a basket with 27 seconds left to cut the margin to 43-42. Oak Forest was put at the free throw line with 8 seconds remaining but missed the front end of a one and one. Brookhaven was then fouled with 2.6 seconds left in the contest but they too missed the front end of a one and one.

Oak Forest took a hard fought 43-42 AA South State Championship win. “Our seniors really stepped up defensively in the fourth quarter” said Oak Forest head coach Jody Fekete. “We kind of feel like we have a monkey off our backs now in winning south state and it should give us some momentum heading into next week’s state tournament.”

Oak Forest had three players in double figures in yesterday’s game, Cassie Bennett led all scorers with 16 points, Lauren Brumfield added 10 points (three 3-pointers), Ashlyn Neal had 10, Brittani Roy, Marissa Cannon, and Jessica McClendon had 2 each, and Lindsey Oliver 1.

Anna Mangold led Brookhaven with 14 points, Laura Beth Wright added 11, Nicole Smith 7, Marion Allen and Terah Winborne 4 each, and Anna Lofton 2.

Oak Forest improves to 32-3 and will play Manchester (#4 seed from the north) at next week’s state tournament.

Brookhaven (33-5) will match up with #3 seed Indianola.

(Above) Bowling Green's Blake McGehee had 15 points on the night (Above) Lindsey Oliver (#10) defends Laura Beth Wright of Brookhaven
(Above) Trinity's RJ Fleming surveys the Bowling Green defense(Above) Brookhaven's Nicole Smith with a 3-point attempt
Hats of to the folks at Copiah Academy. They did an outstanding job and made everyone feel welcomed. I made 20 of the 24 games played at the tournament so, needless to say, I'm a bit worn down. But I'll will be juiced back up come Tuesday as the state tourney gets underway at Brookhaven. It will be fun to see and cover the teams from the north next week. If you see me come say hello and lets talk basketball.

God is great!

see ya..........