MRA basketball reaches milestone

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

There was no fancy dribbling or behind the back passes, no tomahawk dunks or chest beating in the boy’s Overall championship game on Saturday but rather a group of kids dedicated to their team and the system which has produced 47 straight wins over MAIS teams and an unprecedented fourth consecutive boy’s Overall title. The Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots used balanced scoring to beat Presbyterian 52-31 to win the 2010 MAIS Overall Championship at A. E. Wood Coliseum in Clinton, Mississippi yesterday. The MRA offense ran like a well oiled machine that repetitiously produces the same result while the Patriot defense was akin to overcoming a migraine headache. (Above) Caleb Miskelly (#13) of MRA gets a shot off on Presbyterian's Gage Garner
Unlike their three earlier wins this week Presbyterian was unable to get off to a fast start on Saturday. The Bobcats wasted little time in grabbing the lead as James Akers hit a driving basket just fifteen seconds into the game to give Presbyterian a 2-0 advantage. Caleb Miskelly converted on one of two free throws for the Patriot’s first points of the game at the 6:40 mark and Jordan Stentiford canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give MRA their first lead at 4-2. Presbyterian would tie the game at 4-4 on Hayden Eustachy’s fast break basket but MRA starting taking control. Seven straight points over the next two minutes forged the Patriots to an 11-4 lead with 2:32 left in the opening quarter. Gage Garner’s assist to Dan Rust closed out the first quarter with Presbyterian within five points at 13-8. (Above) MRA senior Jordan Stentiford (#23) had 11 points on the day
Ryan Ellis hit a 3-pointer to put MRA up 16-8 following a Presbyterian turnover to start the second quarter but the Bobcats countered with a Cade Martin offensive rebound and put back followed by Mitchell Moore’s 3-pointer from the corner to trim the deficit to 16-13 with 4:38 remaining in the half. Presbyterian stayed within striking distance and at the 2:03 mark pulled to within three points at 21-18 after Hayden Eustachy drilled a 3-pointer from the wing. MRA would take a 23-18 advantage into the half after two Caleb Miskelly free throws. (Above) Hayden Eustachy (#1) of Presbyterian looks for an opening in the Patriot defense
Madison-Ridgeland’s defense shifted gears in the third quarter as they held Presbyterian to just two baskets while increasing their lead to 33-22 on the 3-point shooting of Ryan Ellis and Jeffrey Rickels.
The Patriots exploded with a 14-4 run during the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to take their biggest lead at 47-26 en-route to the 52-31 win.
Ryan Ellis led MRA with a game high 15 points, Jordan Stentiford added 12, Caleb Miskelly 11, Jeffrey Rickels 9, Alec Rawlings 3 and Justin Malone 2.
Presbyterian was led by Hayden Eustachy with 11 points, Mitchell Moore had 6, Cade Martin and Dan Rust 4 each and Hunter Hawkins, James Akers and Drew Deen had 2 apiece.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy finishes the 2010 season with a 34-4 mark while Presbyterian ends at 26-10.
Post game comments:
**MRA head coach Richard Duease**
Halftime adjustments
“We picked up our intensity in the third quarter. We started jumping the ball a little more and created some easy buckets that got us going. We just emphasized that we had to pick our defense up. We had to get up in the passing lanes a little more and create some problems for them and not let them be comfortable and that’s what our guys did.”
On the play of Ryan Ellis after sustaining an ankle injury a week earlier
"It was about winning the Gold Ball and if you would have told me on Monday he was going to play I would have said no way. Dr Barrett and Allen Whitfield and those guys did a great job getting him ready. If you were to see his ankle you would say man how did he play today? It took a lot of guts.”

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**MRA senior Ryan Ellis**
What were you thoughts after sustaining the ankle injury last week?
“During the state championship game I hurt it in the first quarter and I got it taped and went back out to play because I knew how important it was for my team. I can’t let my team down so I rehabbed this whole week, sometimes twice a day. I knew I had to get back to the team to help them win the championship.”
What was the mood at halftime?
“We went into halftime and put the first half behind us and focused on playing our basketball, knocking down shots when we got them and playing hard on defense.”
How does it feel as a senior winning your last game?
“It feels awesome, it’s a great honor. The first team in history, so we’re real happy.”

MRA...13...10...10...19...52

PCS....8....10....4.....9...31

East Rankin wins Overall Championship

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

Championship basketball teams battle adversity with head-on determination and when the adversity is an eleven point first half deficit those teams look to a floor leader that refuses to lose. East Rankin overcame an eleven point first half deficit to beat Pillow 62-44 to win the school’s first Overall basketball title behind the play of senior Brooke Rhodes who finished with a game high 35 points.
Early on it looked as though Pillow was well on their way to a seventh Overall title as they got off to a hot start. The Lady Mustangs ran out to a 5-0 lead on an August Malouf 3-pointer from the wing and Dasha Tsema’s basket in the paint. East Rankin shook off an early cold spell to pull to within two points at 10-8 on a Brooke Rhodes 3-pointer at the 4:11 mark of the quarter. Pillow answered with an 11-2 run that included August Malouf’s second and third 3-pointer of the quarter and a Mary Langdon Gallagher fast break lay-in to put the Lady Mustangs up 21-10. East Rankin closed the gap to 22-15 by the end of the quarter on a Brianna May 3-pointer from the corner and Courtney Lyle’s offensive rebound and put back at the buzzer.

(Above) Brooke Rhodes (#23) of East Rankin surrounded by Pillow defenders
Pillow stretched their lead out to 24-15 at the start of the second quarter on two Kristen Stephens free throws but momentum began to swing as East Rankin’s intensity level picked up a notch. Rachel Knight drained a baseline jumper and a Rhodes 3-pointer at the 6:57 mark made it 24-20. After Stephens converted on one of two free throws it was Brooke Rhodes’ offensive rebound plus one that cut the Pillow lead down to 25-23 with just over five minutes to play in the half. After a Holly Ann Pannell basket pushed the Pillow lead back to four points East Rankin cashed in on two consecutive Pillow turnovers. Brooke Rhodes drilled a 12 foot baseline jumper plus one and then collected a steal and converted as East Rankin took their first lead of the game at 28-27 with 3:13 left in the second quarter. The Lady Patriot lead didn’t last long as Pillow outscored East Rankin 6-4 the final two minutes to take a 33-32 lead into the locker-room at the half. (Above) August Malouf (#24) of Pillow connected on four 3-pointers against East Rankin
While it appeared that Pillow had withstood a furious East Rankin storm midway through the second quarter to retake the lead before the half ended not many expected the wave the Lady Mustangs were about to face in the third quarter. A Rachel Knight assist to Brooke Rhodes in the paint plus one gave the Lady Patriots a 35-33 lead. Rhodes followed that with a steal and assist to Kaitlyn Coghlan and following a Pillow turnover Coghlan drained a 3-pointer from the wing. Coghlan struck again on the next possession as the junior hit a baseline jumper to put East Rankin on top 42-33 with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter. Brooke Rhodes connected on a jumper from the elbow on the very next possession to force a Pillow timeout. East Rankin closed out the quarter on a Courtney Lyle free throw and another signature Brooke Rhodes jumper from the elbow to complete a dominating 15-0 quarter. (Above) Kaitlyn Coghlan (#25) of East Rankin drives past Kaitlin McDaniel of Pillow
Kaitlin McDaniel of Pillow hit two free throws just over one minute into the final quarter that made it 47-35 but East Rankin outscored the Lady Mustangs 10-4 over the next four minutes to take their biggest lead at 57-39 with 3:21 left en-route to a 62-44 win.
Brooke Rhodes led all scorers with 35 points, Kaitlyn Coghlan added 14, Rachel Knight 7 and Brianna May and Courtney Lyle 3 each.
Holly Ann Pannell led Pillow with 13 points, August Malouf had 12, Kaitlin McDaniel 5, Mary Gallagher and Dasha Tsema 4 each and Holland Falls and Kristen Stephens 3 apiece.
East Rankin finishes their championship season with a 35-2 mark while Pillow closes out at 23-12.

.
Post game comments:
**East Rankin head coach Michael McAnally**
“I thought Pillow’s sense of urgency in the first half was a little more than ours. I don’t think we played bad but it was just a case that Pillow was playing better. They came out red hot. I really felt like they gave us their best punch in the first half and the main thing we talked about at halftime was we had to get better defensively and had to rebound. We gave up six offensive rebounds in the first half and that’s totally uncharacteristic of us. We made a concerted effort to just focus and to get on the boards. I don’t know how many rebounds Rachel Knight had in the second half but it seemed like she got every one of them.”
Brooke Rhodes averaged over 30 points during the tournament, have you seen a better player than her? “She’s been the best I’ve ever coached. I’m only ten years into this league but she has to be one of the best ever played. She’s been our leader and as great as she is she’s even a better young lady. I’ve said it time and time again, just when you think she can’t get better she does. She lives for the moment and I’m just speechless because the things she does is remarkable.”
Talk about the role players on the team.....
“It’s easy to look at our team and think that it’s Brooke Rhodes and nobody else but Kaitlyn Coghlan can drive the ball to the basket and when Rachel Knight decides she wants to get a rebound nobody else is going to get it. Bridget Byrd does so many little things for us and Brianna May knows how to take care of the ball and get it to the right people.”

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**East Rankin senior Brooke Rhodes**
“We worked hard for this all year because we fell short last year when we lost in the semi finals. Pillow shot the ball well in the first quarter and we just knew we had to take their punches and keep going with it."
What adjustments were made at halftime?
"He (Coach McAnally) told us we had sixteen minutes and it needed to be the best sixteen minutes we’ve played all year. He said we needed to start in the third quarter and I think we did that.”

ER...15...17...15...15...62

PA...22...11....0...11....44

2010 Overall All Tournament Teams
Boys
Caleb Miskelly - MRA
Jordan Stentiford - MRA
Justin Malone - MRA
Ryan Ellis - MRA
Jeffery Rickels - MRA
Hayden Eustachy - Presbyterian
Hunter Hawkins - Presbyterian
James Akers - Presbyterian
Jaron Edwards - Bowling Green
Harry Williams - Greenville Christian
Girls
Brooke Rhodes - East Rankin
Kaitlyn Coghlan - East Rankin
Rachel Knight - East Rankin
Brianna May - East Rankin
August Malouf - Pillow
Mary Gallagher - Pillow
Holly Ann Pannell - Pillow
Caroline Oliphant - Prairie View
Riley Busching - Jackson Academy
Anna Mangold - Brookhaven

BOYS OVERALL SEMI FINAL ACTION

MRA looking for fourth straight Overall title

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

Madison-Ridgeland Academy is the marquee basketball program in the MAIS. Eight AAA State Championships in the past ten years and 46 consecutive wins against MAIS teams is daunting to say the least but for the 2010 MRA squad anything less than winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive boy’s Overall Championship is considered a disappointment. The Patriots moved one step closer to that goal on Friday night with a 74-60 semi final win over Bowling Green. With the win top ranked MRA improves to 33-4 and will take on Presbyterian for the right to take home the Gold Ball.
Bowling Green wasn’t able to provide much resistance early on as MRA rushed out to a 12-0 lead following a Jeffery Rickles 3-pointer from the corner at the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. Bowling Green got in the scoring column on a Shod Fortenberry jump hook to make it 12-2 with 3:58 remaining. Bowling Green pulled to within six points at 14-8 after a Colton Owens baseline jumper and a Mac McElveen lay-in with just under two minutes left in the quarter. Robert Richardson’s basket at the 1:13 mark closed out the scoring in a 16-8 first quarter. (Above) MRA junior Justin Malone (#34) with a jump hook in the third quarter
MRA extended their lead to 23-10 on a Caleb Miskelly transition basket at the 5:50 mark of the second quarter but the Patriots couldn’t shake Bowling Green. The Buccaneers pulled to within six at 25-19 on a Jaron Edwards assist to Colton Owens. Caleb Miskelly cashed in on a Bowling Green turnover to put MRA up 29-21 with 1:05 left in the quarter but Shod Fortenberry’s basket inside of one minute made it 29-23 at the half.
Bowling Green got the start it wanted in the third quarter as Jaron Edwards nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 29-26 but MRA slammed the door on Bowling Green with a 15-2 run to go up 44-28 with 3:49 left in the quarter. The defending Overall champions closed out the third quarter on a Ryan Ellis basket at the buzzer that gave MRA a 55-36 lead.
MRA grabbed their biggest lead of the night at 68-46 on a Jordan Stentiford driving basket with 3:54 remaining in the game. Bowling Green outscored the Patriots 13-2 over the next 1:55 to pull to within eleven points at 70-59 but could get no closer as the MRA Patriots secured a spot in the Overall finals against Presbyterian with a 74-60 semi final win. (Above) Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green gets a shot over Justin Malone (#34) of MRA
Ryan Ellis led MRA with a game high 20 points, Caleb Miskelly added 19, Jeffery Rickles had 12, Jordan Stentiford 10, Justin Malone 7 and Robert Richardson 6.
Bowling Green (28-10) was led by Colton Owens with 17 points, Jaron Edwards had 15, Shod Fortenberry 14, Mac McElveen 8, Dylan Varnado 5 and Russell Perry 1.

MR...16...13...26...19...74
BG....8....15...13...24...60
(Photo at top) MRA senior Ryan Ellis (#21) had a game high 20 points

Presbyterian to make first Overall finals appearance

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The Presbyterian Bobcats are playing like a team on a mission. With wins over Mt. Salus, Brookhaven and Greenville Christian the Bobcats have only one team in their sights, the defending three time Overall Champion MRA Patriots. Presbyterian took a step towards their first Overall title with a 61-51 win over a tough Greenville Christian squad on Friday night in semi final action.
In the early going it looked as though Presbyterian would coast to an easy win over the single-A champion Saints. The Bobcats raced out to a 9-0 lead less than three minutes into the game in front of a thunderous Presbyterian student section.

(Above) Hayden Eustachy (#1) of Presbyterian nails a 3-pointer

Greenville Christian got their first points of the game at the 5:11 mark when Harry Williams got a lay-in to make it 9-2. Presbyterian fired back with eight straight points to take their biggest lead at 17-2 with 3:38 remaining in the opening quarter. Greenville Christian didn’t panic and as they did in their upset win over Jackson Prep on Wednesday they started trimming the Bobcat lead. Justin Leavy and Harry Williams converted on 3-pointers to finish the quarter down 19-8.
Greenville Christian slowly pulled to within six points at 20-14 following a Williams 3-pointer and a free throw from Justin Leavy with 5:52 left in the half. Gage Garner’s 3-pointer from the corner at the 3:04 mark extended the Bobcat’s lead back out to 29-18 and TJ Hollins did the same for Greenville Christian as the senior canned a 3-pointer to end the half with the Saints trailing 29-21. (Above) Harry Williams (#4) of Greenville Christian led the Saints with 19 pts
Greenville Christian mounted a charge in the second half but each time they did Presbyterian countered. After GCS pulled to within three points at 37-34 following Justin Leavy’s two free throws Presbyterian quickly jumped back out to a seven point lead on a Hayden Eustachy lay-in and James Akers’ 17 foot jumper. Mitchell Mooore’s 3-pointer from the corner gave Presbyterian a 47-38 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Presbyterian looked to be in total control after holding a 55-45 lead with 4:14 remaining in the game but consecutive 3-pointers from Harry Williams and Mike Hardy closed the gap to 55-51 with 2:17 left. Justin Leavy’s shot attempt to narrow the deficit to two points fell short and the Bobcats finished the final minute of the game by hitting on 6/8 free throws to preserve a 61-51 win. (Above) Presbyterian sophomore Hunter Hawkins (#34) in first half action
Hayden Eustachy led Presbyterian (26-9) with a game high 20 points, Hunter Hawkins and James Akers added 9 each, Gage Garner had 8, Cade Martin 7, Mitchell Moore 6 and Drew Deen 2.
Greenville Christian (36-2) was led by Harry Williams with 19 points, Justin Leavy added 13, Mike Hardy 6, Keldrek Young 4, TJ Hollins 3 and Jonathan Griffin, Jeremy Griffin and Dantarrius Campbell 2 apiece.

PC...19...10...18...14...61
GC....8...13...17...13...51

GIRLS OVERALL SEMI FINAL ACTION

Pillow looking for seventh Overall title

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The girls’ basketball program at Pillow Academy has a storied history that includes a record six Overall titles and five AAA State Championships. On Friday afternoon the Lady Mustang’s took a step towards earning a seventh Overall crown as they edged Jackson Academy 33-31 in a thrilling semi final battle that produced eight lead changes and was tied twice. With the win Pillow improves to 23-11 and will take on East Rankin who will be looking to win their first Gold Ball.
Pillow wasted little time as August Malouf canned a 3-pointer just 10 seconds into the opening quarter to put the Lady Mustangs on top 3-0. Jackson Academy grabbed their first lead at 4-3 on an AJ Frazier steal and lay-in at the 6:39 mark. Mackenzie Carmody’s basket with two seconds remaining in the quarter gave the Lady Raiders a 12-9 advantage after eight minutes of play.
Pillow only managed to score seven points in the second quarter but the Lady Mustangs held Jackson Academy scoreless. Devin Mitchell canned two free throws and an offensive rebound and put back from Kristen Stephens gave Pillow a 13-12 lead with 4:13 remaining in the first half. Following a Jackson Academy turnover Pillow extended their lead to 16-12 on Holly Ann Pannell’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:37 on the clock. The score would remain at 16-12 to end the second quarter. (Above) The Pillow student section gives Mandy Dace (#30) of Jackson Academy some warm encouragement
Jackson Academy trimmed the deficit to 16-14 on Riley Busching’s offensive rebound and put back nearly two minutes into the third quarter. Holly Ann Pannell drained another 3-pointer to extend the Lady Mustang’s lead to 19-14 but two consecutive baskets from Mandy Dace pulled Jackson Academy to within one point at 19-18 with 3:36 left in the quarter. Kristen Stephens drained two free throws to give Pillow a three point cushion but Jackson Academy pulled even at 21-21 on AJ Frazier’s 3-pointer at the 1:57 mark. The Lady Raiders regained the lead at 23-21 with 45 seconds left in the quarter on Mackenzie Carmody’s basket in the paint following a Pillow turnover.
Jackson Academy pushed out to a 29-23 lead following a Mandy Dace 3-pointer with 4:49 left in the game but Pillow started tearing into the six point deficit. After Holly Ann Pannell hit one of two free throws, Mary Langdon Gallagher converted on a steal and lay-in to make it 29-26 with just over four minutes to play. Another free throw from Pannell and one from Dasha Tsema brought the Lady Mustangs to within one point at 29-28 with 3:51 remaining. After a Jackson Academy turnover Devin Mitchell’s assist to Kristen Stephens put Pillow back on top at 30-29. Holly Ann Pannell hit two free throws as Pillow extended their slim lead to 32-29 at the 1:18 mark. Jackson Academy got a basket from Mandy Dace with 1:00 left and following a Lady Raider timeout Pillow turned the ball over but Jackson Academy’s shot attempt with 9 seconds on the clock was off the rim. Dasha Tsema brought in the rebound and was fouled with 5 seconds remaining. Tsema hit one of two free throws and Jackson Academy could not get a shot off as Pillow escaped with a 33-31 semi final win. (Above) Kristen Stephens of Pillow battles with Brett Ball (#23) of Jackson Academy
Holly Ann Pannell led Pillow with 12 points, Kristen Stephens added 8, August Malouf had 7 and Mary Langdon Gallagher, Dasha Tsema and Devin Mitchell each had 2.
Mandy Dace led Jackson Academy (24-10) with 11 points, Riley Busching and AJ Frazier had 5 apiece, Mackenzie Carmody 4 and Mollie Blair, Kristen McNair and Brett Ball had 2 each.

PA....9...7...5...12...33
JA...12..0...11...8....31
(Photo at top) Mary Langdon Gallagher of Pillow (#11) gets past Mackenzie Carmody of Jackson Academy

East Rankin one win from Overall crown

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The East Rankin Lady Patriots have held down the number one ranking in AAA for most of the season and this afternoon they can close out a remarkable season with the ultimately prize, the Overall Championship and the Gold Ball that goes with it. Brooke Rhodes poured in 31 points to lead East Rankin to a 51-35 semi final win over Brookhaven on Friday afternoon to propel the Lady Patriots into the title game against Pillow.
Brookhaven grabbed two early leads, Anna Mangold’s jumper from the free throw line put the Lady Cougars up 2-0. Following a Brooke Rhodes jumper that tied the game at 2-2 Mangold hit one of two free throws for a 3-2 advantage but for Brookhaven that would be their last lead as East Rankin got rolling. Rachel Knight drained an 8 foot jumper from the baseline coupled with 11 first quarter points from Rhodes as the Lady Patriots finished the opening quarter outscoring Brookhaven 15-6 to take a 17-9 lead.

(Above) Kaitlyn Coghlan (#25) of East Rankin drives past Laura Beth Wright of Brookhaven
East Rankin stretched their lead to 25-11 on a 10 foot jumper from Brooke Rhodes halfway through the second quarter. The Lady Patriots maintained a fourteen point lead to close out the half on top 28-14.
Brookhaven appeared to be on the brink of getting blown out as East Rankin pushed their lead to 36-18 following a Rhodes 3-pointer from the wing at the 4:51 mark but the Lady Cougars got themselves back into the game by finishing the quarter with a 14-4 run to close the gap to 40-32 after three quarters of play.
Terah Winborne’s assist to Anna Mangold pulled Brookhaven to within six at 40-34 to start the final quarter but East Rankin answered with nine straight points (7 from Rhodes) to extend their lead to 49-34 with 2:21 left in the game. East Rankin spread the court and ran the clock en-route to a 51-35 win.

(Above) East Rankin's Brooke Rhodes (#23) drives for two of her game high 31 pts

Brooke Rhodes led East Rankin with a game high 31 points, Kaitlyn Coghlan added 12, Rachel Knight 6 and Brianna May 2.
East Rankin improves to 34-2 and will battle Pillow today at 1:00 pm for the Overall title.
For Brookhaven Anna Mangold had 17 points, Terah Winborne 14 and Laura Beth Wright and Mary Lindsey Magee 2 apiece.
Brookhaven finishes their season with a 31-6 mark.

ER...17...11...12...11...51
BA....9....5....18....3...35

Overall semi finals are set
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The first round of the 2010 Overall Tournament at Mississippi College in Clinton has concluded and with no doubt the biggest upset to come out of round one is Greenville Christian’s 60-53 win over Jackson Prep on the boy’s side of the bracket. The Saints entered the tournament under the radar and virtually unknown to many even though they won the Single-A Championship and have only one loss on their season mark. While five of their ten man roster consists of seniors the core of their team are underclassmen led by junior Harry Williams and the explosive play of sophomore Keldrek Young.
Most would consider Jackson Academy’s 66-61 win over defending Overall champion Leake an upset and to some degree some credence can be assessed to that argument but the Lady Raiders are very capable of winning the tournament. Jackson Academy has very good guard play to compliment a strong post game from senior Riley Busching. Defensively the Lady Raiders forced multiple turnovers early in the Leake game that set the tone for the remaining three quarters.
The Presbyterian Bobcats arguably put on their best performance of the season in totally dismantling State AA Champion Brookhaven 67-40. While Brookhaven fought early on to get into the game it was apparent that the Bobcats were playing at a different level. Presbyterian has the balance needed to win the Gold Ball on Saturday should they get past Greenville Christian. Their guards played nearly flawless basketball against Brookhaven and did a phenomenal job of setting the table for their big men.
Greenville Christian looked to be over-matched in the first quarter against Jackson Prep. GCS scored the first two baskets of the game for an early 4-0 lead but Prep shutout the Saints with an 18-0 run the remaining seven minutes of the quarter en-route to an 18-4 lead.

(Above) Greenville Christian's Harry Williams (#4) with a finger roll basket in the fourth quarter
Ever so slowly Greenville Christian started working themselves back into the game. Justin Leavy canned a 3-pointer from the corner to start the second quarter and following a Prep turnover Leavy’s pass to Keldrek Young led to a monster dunk from the baseline to trim the deficit to 18-9 at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter. The Saints pulled to within five points at 31-26 on another slam from Young with 12 seconds remaining in the half. Prep’s Brannon Morris hit two free throws to give the Patriots a 33-26 halftime advantage.
Jackson Prep pushed the lead to 35-26 on a Pack Toler basket to start the third quarter and kept Greenville Christian at bay throughout the first six minutes of the quarter. With Prep up 41-31 at the 1:44 mark Greenville Christian finished the quarter strong with a 9-2 run as junior Harry Williams scored nine of his game high 25 points in that short span. (Above) Gray Samson (#3) of Jackson Prep surveys the Greenville Christian defense
Williams picked up where he left off as the final quarter started. The junior canned two free throws to pull the Saints to within one point at 43-32 just twelve seconds into the quarter. Prep earned themselves some breathing room when Ben Lane hit a 3-pointer from the wing at the 6:30 mark to push the lead to 49-43 but the consensus in the building was that this game was going to be tight. Greenville Christian fired back with a Jonathan Griffin 3-pointer and a Mike Hardy floater in the lane to make it a one point game at 49-48. The Saints took their first lead since 4-0 when Harry Williams drained a 12 foot jumper at the 3:27 mark to put the Saints up 50-49. Jackson Prep regained the lead on their next possession when Pack Toler put back an offensive rebound plus one for a 52-50 Patriot lead with 2:52 remaining. Jackson Prep had no answer for Harry Williams as the junior’s assist to Jonathan Griffin tied the game at 52-52 and Williams put the Saints on top for good with a jumper just inside the top of the key with just over two minutes left in the game. Greenville Christian outscored Prep 8-3 the final two minutes including 6/6 from the free throw line en-route to the 60-53 upset. (Above) Pack Toler (#23) of Jackson Prep blocks a Harry Williams shot attempt
Harry Williams led Greenville Christian with a game high 25 points, Keldrek Young added 12, Justin Leavy 8, Jonathan Griffin 7, Jeremy Griffin 4 and Mike Hardy and TJ Hollins had 2 each.
Ben Lane led Jackson Prep with 11 points, Pack Toler had 9, Brannon Morris 7, Gray Samson and Thomas Dunbar had 6 apiece, Emmett Manning and Lawrence Martin 5 each and Cody McCain 4.
Greenville Christian improves to 36-1 and will take on Presbyterian in the semi final round on Friday while Jackson Prep ends their season with a 25-10 record. (Above) Brett Ball (#23) of Jackson Academy drives past Char'Lesa Tadlock of Leake
The Leake Rebelette’s defense of their Overall title has ended. Jackson Academy led from start to finish en-route to a 66-61 win to advance to the semi finals. The Lady Raiders forced four turnovers on Leake’s first five possessions as they jumped out to an early 6-2 lead midway through the opening quarter. Jenny Wilbank’s basket off a Hannah Peoples steal pulled the Rebelettes to within two points at 10-8 with 2:37 remaining in the quarter but Jackson Academy reeled off five straight points to go up 15-8 at the 1:29 mark. Emily Kea converted on two free throws with 7 seconds left as Leake ended the first quarter down 15-10. (Above) Jackson Academy center Riley Busching gets a shot over the fingertips of Emily Kea (#15) of Leake
Jackson Academy controlled the second quarter and while Leake managed to narrow the deficit to three points the Lady Raiders took a 30-24 lead into halftime on a Mackenzie Carmody lay-in at the buzzer.
Leake opened the third quarter with three consecutive turnovers as Jackson Academy built a ten point lead at 34-24. Leake junior Jenny Wilbanks hit one of two free throws and then connected on consecutive 3-pointers from the wing to make it a three point game at 34-31 but Jackson Academy withstood another Leake run as they pushed their lead back to 46-36 after an AJ Frazier 3-pointer from the wing at the 2:58 mark of the quarter. The Lady Raiders took a 48-40 advantage into the final quarter. (Above) Brett Ball (#23) led Jackson Academy with 23 points
Jackson Academy maintained no less than a five point cushion through the initial seven minutes of the fourth quarter. While things looked grim for Leake after Jenny Wilbanks fouled out with 2:16 remaining the Rebelettes mounted one final charge when Char’Lesa Tadlock hit a basket and then Hannah Peoples stole the inbounds pass and converted to make it 62-59 with 40 seconds remaining, but Jackson Academy did just enough at the free throw line in going 4/6 to preserve a 66-61 win and advance to the semi finals where they will face Pillow.
Brett Ball led Jackson Academy (24-9) with 23 points, Riley Busching added 18, AJ Frazier had 8, Mackenzie Carmody and Mady Dace had 6 apiece, Irby Taylor 3 and Mollie Blair 2.
Emily Kea had a game high 24 points to lead Leake, Jenny Wilbanks added 14, Hannah Peoples 11, Char’Lesa Tadlock 7, Jessi Powers 3 and Kelsey Harvey 2.
Leake finishes the season at 35-3. (Above) Hayden Eustachy (#1) of Presbyterian gets a shot over Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven
The Presbyterian Bobcats punched their ticket to the semi final round with a shocking 67-40 blowout of Brookhaven. Presbyterian raced out to a 9-0 lead after four minutes of play and held a 13-6 lead after one quarter.
Presbyterian increased their lead to 26-13 following a Hayden Eustachy 3-pointer from the wing at the 3:47 mark of the second quarter. Sidney Chaffin of Brookhaven hit a 10 foot jumper plus one to make it 28-17 with 2:14 left in the half but the Cougars would get no closer as Presbyterian built a 33-19 lead by the half. (Above) Presbyterian guard James Akers (#5) with a first half up and under basket
Presbyterian quickly increased their lead to 36-19 on a Mitchell Moore 3-pointer and a Hunter Hawkins basket following a Brookhaven turnover. The Bobcats biggest lead of the quarter came on a Hayden Eustachy assist to Hawkins at the 3:06 mark to make it 45-25. Presbyterian took a 49-33 lead into the final quarter of play.
The Bobcats twice enjoyed a thirty point lead in the fourth quarter as they coasted to a 67-40 win to improve to 25-9. (Above) Presbyterian sophomore Hunter Hawkins (#34) had 14 points on the night
Hayden Eustachy led Presbyterian with 20 points, Hunter Hawkins chipped in with 14, Mitchell Moore and Cade Martin had 9 each, James Akers 7, Gage Garner 6 and Dan Rust 2.
The Bobcats will square off with Greenville Christian in the semi final round on Friday.
Brookhaven was led by Jake Reed with 22 points, Sidney Chaffin and Jamison Powell added 6 apiece, Bubba Keene 3, Matthew Evans 2 and Mark Rushing 1.
The Cougars end their season with a 27-9 mark. (Above) Brookhaven's Terah Winborne (#14) with a second half shot attempt
All wasn’t bad for Brookhaven as the girl’s team earned a slot in the semi final round with a 58-53 win over Trinity. While the State AA Runners up advanced to the next round it was not without a fight from upstart Trinity.
Summer Calhoun’s assist to Anna Lofton gave Brookhaven an early 5-4 lead three minutes into the first quarter but Trinity regained the lead on a Rosie Woods lay-in at the 5:03 mark. Madelyn Cross put Trinity up 8-5 on a driving basket with 2:42 left in the quarter but Anna Mangold would tie the game at 11-11 on a 17 foot jumper to end the first period.
Brookhaven regained the lead on Mary Lindsey Magee’s basket twenty seconds into the second quarter. The Lady Cougars would not relinquish the lead throughout a tightly played quarter in which the biggest lead was five points. Anna Mangold’s two free throws gave Brookhaven a 27-22 lead with 43 seconds remaining in the half before Rosie Woods connected on a jumper from the elbow to trim the deficit to 27-24 at the close of the quarter. (Above) Madeyn Cross of Trinity (#33) gets a piece of Anna Lofton's shot
Brookhaven pushed out to their biggest lead to start the second half as Anna Mangold converted on two baskets to give the Lady Cougars a 31-24 spread. Trinity faced a 39-32 deficit as Brookhaven threatened to pull away at the 1:33 mark but the Lady Saints ended the third quarter with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 39-39.
Trinity continued their run to start the fourth quarter on consecutive baskets from Brandis White to give the Lady Saints a 43-39 lead forcing a Brookhaven timeout. The Trinity lead was short lived as Brookhaven scored seven straight points to regain the lead at 46-43 with 5:26 to play. Brookhaven increased their lead to 51-45 on a Terah Winborne baseline drive with 3:04 remaining in the game and the Lady Cougars managed to hold off Trinity to take a 58-53 win to improve to 30-5.
Anna Mangold led Brookhaven with a game high 20 points, Anna Lofton and Terah Winborne added 11 each, Laura Beth Wright had 10, Mary Lindsey Magee 5 and Summer Calhoun 1. (Above) Laura Beth Wright (#21) of Brookhaven gets a fourth quarter basket
Trinity (24-11) was led by Brandis White with 18 points, Bethany Ogden added 13, Madelyn Cross 12, Rosie Woods 4 and Sarah Bryan and Katie Steele 3 apiece.
Brookhaven will take on top ranked East Rankin on Friday afternoon.

(Photo at top of page) Greenville Christian sophomore Keldrek Young

Bowling Green advances at Overall

Southern Sports & Travel, By Brett Rutland

The Bowling Green Buccaneers overcame a sluggish start and a feisty team in Claiborne Academy in the quarterfinal round of the MAIS Overall Tournament Tuesday afternoon, ultimately cruising to an 80-55 victory over the Rebels. Senior guard Jaron Edwards scored a game high 23 points in the victory as the Bucs improved to 28-9 on the year and advance to meet the Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots Friday night.
“I was proud of my kids for the way they were able to finish the game after a disappointing loss Saturday.” said Bucs coach Pat King. “We started out slow and missed a lot of shots but they got it going, especially in the third quarter. We were able to build a little bit of a lead and get a couple of guys some rest before Friday.”
Claiborne jumped out to an 18-12 lead after one quarter, but Bowling Green responded with a steady determination, climbing back and taking a 35-33 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. They picked up right where they left off in the third quarter as Mac McElveen- 17 points, Shod Fortenberry -10 points and Colton Owens-12 points, aided the Bucs cause, pushing the lead to 53-42 lead after three quarters. The Bucs continued to pour it on in the fourth, outscoring the Rebels 27-13 in the final frame, resulting in the final 25 point victory.
When asked about facing Madison-Ridgeland, King said, “They’re tough. They haven’t lost to a private school team in over a year, so that should tell everyone how good they are. We’ll have our hands full, but there are no bad teams playing at this time of the year anyway. We’re just going to have to come out ready to play.”
Jaron Edwards led Bowling Green with 23 points. Mac McElveen followed with 17 points. Colton Owens registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Shod Fortenberry scored 10 points, Dylan Varnado 4, Drake Adams 4, Kevin Perry 4, Dean King 2, Russell Perry 2, and Alex Keaton 2.
Oliver Willis registered a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds to lead Claiborne, who ended their season with a 27-6 mark. Jadarius Willis followed with 13 points, Keaton Bush 5, Jason Tuggle 5, Cooper Suggs 4, Zach Odom 4, Slade Walser 3, Taylor Tuggle 2 and Dylan Perry 2.

BG...12...23...18...27...80

CA...18...15....9....13...55

(Photo above) Jaron Edwards, file photo

From the notebook...........

*The State AA Tournament in Indianola last week provided some exciting basketball as Brookhaven and Leake both won state crowns. Sometimes in the midst of change some things never do, hence Brookhaven winning an unprecedented sixth straight title and Leake’s girls taking their fifth consecutive. In both championship games on Saturday the two best teams squared off and in each contest the best team won.
*The three team playoff format was a valiant attempt at improving tournament play but I found very few who prefer it over the four team format. I hope there will be further thought into adjusting some areas without diminishing the AA State Tournament. It wasn’t the same this year with the two top seeds needing to win just one game to advance to the state championship game. With 28 teams in AA the four team format is a perfect fit. The Overall Tournament can be reduced to two qualifiers but an overwhelming opinion is to revisit the four team format.
*I made a comment to a friend late Saturday night about the quality of kids I’ve encountered this season. Having traveled all over the past seven months I have had the opportunity to talk with lots of kids in both football and basketball and the common theme has been respect and humility which seems to be rare in athletics these days. The two conclusions to be drawn are simple, great parents and coaches are plentiful in the MAIS.
*The Overall Tournament is underway and now that I’ve gotten a few days rest I’ll be making the trip north to cover some of the action.
*Changes and improvements are coming to Southern Sports & Travel. When the 2010 football season rolls around video and audio interview clips will be featured on a new homepage along with better graphics and tools.
*Baseball season is getting underway so please send any information regardless of class. Unlike football and basketball, baseball is a huge challenge with regards to gathering data and updating records. Please text any scores to 985-750-3455 or fax rosters to 985-732-9306.

STATE AA ALL TOURNAMENT TEAMS

Girls

Beth Mann - Sr - Kirk

Caroline Oliphant - Sr - Prairie View

Logan Tubbs -Sr - Prairie View

Laura Beth Wright - So - Brookhaven

Terah Winborne - So - Brookhaven

Anna Katelyn Mangold - Jr - Brookhaven

Emily Kea - Sr - Leake

Jenny Wilbanks - Jr - Leake

Hannah Peoples - Fr - Leake

Char'Lesa Tadlock - Sr - Leake

Boys

Chase Ferrell - So - Marshall

Taylor Pierce - Jr - Canton

Michael Jerome - Sr - Canton

Jaron Edwards - Sr - Bowling Green

Colton Owens - Sr - Bowling Green

Shod Fortenberry - Sr - Bowling Green

Jake Reed - Sr - Brookhaven

Jamison Powell - Sr - Brookhaven

Sidney Chaffin - Jr - Brookhaven

Bubba Keene - So - Brookhaven

BOYS STATE AA CHAMPIONSHIP

Cougar Nation still on top

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The Brookhaven Cougar basketball program has once again distinguished itself as one of excellence but not just at the AA level. Brookhaven sits alone in a category that no other past or present MAIS/MPSA team can claim. The Cougars earned the State AA Championship with a 62-51 win over Bowling Green to become the first school in any classification to win six straight state titles. Junior Sidney Chaffin scored a game high 20 points to help send out the second straight senior class with three State AA Championship rings. (Above) Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven had a game high 20 pts
With the win over Bowling Green the Cougars also avenged a South AA Championship loss on their home court to the Buccaneers one week ago. Brookhaven improves to 27-6 and advances to the overall tournament next week as a number one seed and will take on the winner of Presbyterian and Mt Salus.
Before a huge crowd jammed into the Indianola Gymnasium Bowling Green drew first blood as they got out to a quick 3-0 lead one minute into the opening quarter. Brookhaven answered with eight straight points culminating on two Jamison Powell free throws to put the Cougars up 8-3. Brookhaven maintained a lead throughout the first quarter but by no more than five points. Bubba Keene converted a Bowling Green turnover into a basket with 39 seconds left in the quarter that gave Brookhaven a 14-9 advantage but a Jaron Edwards free throw and Russell Perry’s bucket with 3 seconds remaining cut the Cougar lead to 14-12 after one quarter of play. (Above) Brookhaven's Bubba Keene (#5) converts on a fast break
Bowling Green pulled even at 14-14 on Shod Fortenberry’s offensive rebound and put back at the 6:30 mark of the second quarter. Each team traded baskets until the Cougars managed to gain some breathing room with a 9-3 run in the final 2:17 of the quarter and take a 29-23 lead into the locker-room at the half.
Brookhaven increased their lead to 31-23 on a Sidney Chaffin jumper from the free throw line two minutes into the third quarter. The Cougars cashed in on a Buccaneer turnover when Brock Smith hit a basket plus one to extend the lead to 34-23. Jamison Powell hit one of two free throws after Bowling Green’s Jaron Edwards picked up his fourth foul at the 5:09 mark. After Bowling Green got back to within nine points Brookhaven countered with six unanswered to grab their biggest lead at 41-26. Jake Reed hit one of two free throws and then drilled a 3-pointer from the wing coupled with a Sidney Chaffin basket to account for the six straight Cougar points. With 3:48 on the clock freshman guard Mac McElveen hit an 8 foot floater to start a Bowling Green 8-2 run that pulled the Buccaneers to within seven points at 43-34 to end the third quarter. (Above) Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven receives an entry pass from Bubba Keene
Bowling Green added to the run to begin the final quarter as a Jaron Edwards jumper from the free throw line made it 43-36. Mac McElveen’s 3-pointer from the wing at the 6:46 mark got the Buccaneers back to within six points at 47-41 but Brookhaven capitalized on Bowling Green turnovers with baskets from Sidney Chaffin and a Jamison Powell end to end bucket to go back up 51-41 with just over five minutes left in the game. After a Powell to Bubba Keene full length pass pushed the Cougar’s lead to 53-41 Brookhaven played even with Bowling Green en-route to a 62-51 win.
Sidney Chaffin led Brookhaven with a game high 20 points, Jake Reed added 16, Jamison Powell 11, Bubba Keene 9 and Brock Smith 6.
For Bowling Green Shod Fortenberry had 13 points, Jaron Edwards and Mac McElveen had 9 each, Colton Owens 8 and Russell and Kevin Perry 6 apiece.
Bowling Green advances to the overall tournament next week where they’ll face Claiborne. (Above) Bowling Green's Dylan Varnado (#1) denies Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven

Post game comments:
**Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts**

What was the game plan tonight?
“You asked me last night what the game plan was and I told you I would have to go study film and I did that last night. This morning we came to the gym at 9:30 and I told our team that I didn’t have any great revelation or some great something that could win this game for us but I had a lot of little things that we could do. Some of those little things were just angles on the press offense, making good decisions on the press offense when they pressed us, spacing on the floor, knowing when to attack and when to back up. Our biggest goal was to try and keep Bowling Green off stride and out of rhythm. I hate a zone defense, I hate it with a passion and as a matter of fact it’s very difficult if you go to a zone and then come out of it, but our objective was to keep them out of rhythm, make them have to back up and look. I think we met that objective. They (BG) had to do some things they couldn’t do and it wasn’t that they couldn’t but they just weren’t prepared for it but they regrouped and adjusted.”

What are your thoughts about winning six straight state titles?
“You talk about six in a row? I’m blessed, I’m blessed! I ain’t won none of those, these players did. I tell folks it started off for these guys in the seventh grade and there were about twelve of those guys. Jake Reed came to us in the eighth grade and when they were in the ninth grade we won our junior high championship. Jake and Jamison Powell were the only two that stayed with it and I can’t say enough for them. They made a commitment and they just stepped up in every phase. I demand a lot from them. They want to cry, they want to get mad at Coach Watts, they want to hug his neck, but I just can’t say enough about them.”

**Brookhaven senior Jamison Powell**

What are your feelings about winning tonight over Bowling Green?
“It’s really been amazing after losing to Bowling Green last week, it was terrible. It was the last game on our home court and they really just embarrassed us. We set out on a mission to not only 6-peat but to beat Bowling Green in the state championship. We wanted Bowling Green.”

What was the key to winning tonight?
“Having to deny Jaron (Edwards) the ball because if he gets his hands on it he can do anything with it and with Shod (Fortenberry) down low, he dominates the boards. We had to rebound. Rebounding was our key to the win.”

**Brookhaven senior Jake Reed**

Describe your feelings about winning another state championship:
“This is what we set out to do early in the ninth grade, to win four in a row, I really can’t explain it right now. This is definitely big after losing to Bowling Green last week to come back and not let it get into our heads and do what we had to do.”

What was the key in winning tonight?
“Our intensity on defense and we refused to lose. That’s what we were saying in the locker-room, that we weren’t going to lose and we’d do whatever it took and we came out and did it.”

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BA...14...15...14...19...62

BG...12...11...11...17...51

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Reader comments:

Anonymous said...
How many free throw attempts did each team get?
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Anonymous said...
I'm not sure on free throw attempts, but I took pictures of the scoreboard after each quarter and it showed total number of fouls for each team. They erased it at halftime before I took my picture though. After the 1st Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 4. As I mentioned above, not sure about the 2nd. After the 3rd Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 3, and at the end of the game, BG finished with 10 fouls to BA's 8.

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Anonymous said...
not great officiating both ways. Refs were pretty poor the whole tournament but they are human and do make mistakes. Bottom line is the best two teams played for the state championship and the best team came out on top.

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Anonymous said...
fouls were about even(within 4 or 5 of each other) for the game which is about normal. plus bowling green was fouling a bit late to put brookhaven on the line. both teams had some questionable calls, but it was pretty clear the refs weren't one sided. they just "went crazy" with some of the calls... for instance... Brookhaven's 10 second half-court violation with only 6 seconds gone off the game clock? that's just rediculous stuff.

GIRLS STATE AA CHAMPIONSHIP

Leake wins fifth straight AA crown

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The State AA Championship game pitted a girls program at the pinnacle of their success against a young up and coming squad anxious to reclaim past glory. In the end experience won as the Leake Rebelettes beat Brookhaven 63-50 and claimed their fifth consecutive AA title. Emily Kea had a game high 18 points and freshman point guard Hannah Peoples overcame a severe ankle sprain suffered in the first quarter to score 15 points as the Rebelettes led from start to finish. (Above) Jenny Wilbanks (#22) of Leake alters the shot of Anna Lofton (#10) of Brookhaven
Leake sprinted out to an early 9-0 lead through the first two minutes of the opening quarter. Jenny Wilbanks hit a baseline jumper that got Leake on the board first. Jessi Powers canned a 3-pointer from the corner and Char’Lesa Tadlock scored on consecutive baskets for the early 9-0 run. Anna Mangold’s banker in the paint at the 5:49 mark and a Laura Beth Wright lay-in on the next possession made it 9-4. Leake answered with seven straight points, six from junior Jenny Wilbanks, to increase their lead to 16-4 with 2:55 left in the quarter. Brookhaven managed to close the gap to 16-9 on a Terah Winborne lay-in off a Leake turnover but an Anna Nowell 3-pointer from the corner closed out the quarter with Leake on top 19-9. (Above) Leake's Emily Kea (#15) gets pressure from Mary Lindsey Magee (#32) of Brookhaven
Brookhaven wasted little time in cutting into the Leake lead at the start of the second quarter. Terah Winborne’s assist to Anna Mangold led off the quarter to trim the deficit to 19-11. Mangold connected again one minute later and Anna Lofton hit on one of two free throws as the Lady Cougars had pulled to within five points at 19-14. Following a Leake turnover Laura Beth Wright canned two free throws and Brookhaven was in striking distance at 19-16 with 4:43 left in the first half. Later in the quarter after two free throws from Hannah Peoples at the 1:02 mark gave Leake a 26-21 spread Brookhaven answered again as Terah Winborne hit a 3-pointer from the wing that would pull the Lady Cougars to 26-24 at the end of one half of play.
Brookhaven stayed within four points through the first five minutes of the third quarter but at the 2:56 mark Leake started to widen the gap. Hannah Peoples went baseline for a basket and following a Brookhaven turnover Emily Kea’s turnaround jumper from 12 feet gave Leake a 40-32 advantage with two minutes left. After Anna Mangold made one of two free throws with 28 seconds remaining Leake set up shop for a last shot attempt as the half was coming to a close. With time running out and no other open options Leake point guard Hannah Peoples hurled up a long 3-point shot that rang true to give the Rebelettes a 43-33 cushion heading into the final quarter. (Above) Terah Winborne (#14) of Brookhaven on the receiving end of a loose ball
Leake moved out to their biggest lead of 47-33 on baskets from Emily Kea and Shelby Howard one minute into the fourth quarter. Brookhaven managed to cut the lead to twelve at 47-35 on a Laura Beth Wright offensive rebound and put back with 6:51 remaining in the game but the Lady Cougars couldn’t gain ground. Leake finished the final quarter hitting 10/14 free throws to take a 63-50 win.
Emily Kea led Leake with a game high 18 points, Hannah Peoples added 15, Jenny Wilbanks had 9, Char’Lesa Tadlock 7, Jessi Powers and Shelby Howard had 5 each and Kelsey Harvey 1.
For Brookhaven Anna Mangold had 15 points, Terah Winborne added 13, Laura Beth Wright 12, Mary Lindsey Magee 5, Summer Calhoun 3 and Anna Lofton 2.
With the win the five time state champions and defending overall champions improve to 35-2 and will take on the winner of the Jackson Academy/Claiborne game in next week’s overall tournament.
Brookhaven falls to 29-5 and will play Trinity. (Above) Emily Kea of Leake had a game high 18 pts

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Post game comments:
Leake head coach Doyle Wolverton
How did the injury to point guard Hannah Peoples affect the game early on?
“It affected us a whole lot. That’s one of the main catalysts we’ve used the last two years. To see her go down and all of a sudden that lead went from about 12 down to 4 was big. Of course, I was screaming hurry up and get her back in. I really didn’t know if she was going to be able to come back but she did and played good. Her ball handling down the stretch was important, she’s a tough gal.”
Were you pleased with the defensive play of your girls?
“I though they played really well today. I thought they played really well defensively because Brookhaven is an enormously good offensive team at pushing the ball down the floor. We had some turnovers but there were only three or four that we gave up lay-ups. The rest of our turnovers were either traveling or double dribbling which allows our defense to set up.”
What are your thoughts about the overall tournament next week?
“I tell our kids this all the time. You set your sights every year on a state championship and if you can get that…great. The overall is just another feather in the cap if it happens to come.”

LA...19...7...17...20...63

BA....9..15....9...17...50

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Reader comments:

Anonymous said...
The ladies from Leake did a great job. Hanna Peoples played with tons of courage and grit after she got hurt. We are proud of our ladies for a job well done. Good luck this week Rebelettes!!

BOYS STATE AA SEMI FINALS

Brookhaven aiming for sixth straight title

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The Brookhaven Cougars will be attempting a feat no other MAIS school has accomplished, win six straight state championships. The five time defending champions earned that right with a convincing 84-57 win over Marshall in which the Cougars never trailed. With the win Brookhaven moves to 26-6 and will battle Bowling Green tonight for the State AA Championship.
It didn’t take long for Brookhaven to set the pace as Sidney Chaffin hit a 3-pointer ten seconds into the game. Following a Marshall turnover Jake Reed went glass plus one to put the Cougars up 6-0 early on. After two Jake Reed free throws put Brookhaven up 10-4 Marshall got a Chase Ferrell 17 foot jumper and a Jordan Brock basket to pull the Patriots to within two points at 10-8 at the 5:23 mark of the opening quarter. Marshall pulled to within two points once again at 16-14 on a Jordan Wyke jumper from the elbow but that would prove to be the closest the Patriots would get as Brookhaven extended their lead to 24-16 on a Jamison Powell offensive rebound and put back to end the quarter.

(Above) Brookhaven's Jamison Powell (#3) gets past Taylor Maurey (#24) of Marshall
The Cougars put together a 17-5 run in the second quarter in which all five starters contributed as Brookhaven pushed their lead to 41-21 with one minute remaining in the first half. Caleb Byrd hit one of two free throws and hit a 16 foot jumper to make it 41-24 but Jake Reed hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to give Brookhaven at 44-24 lead at the halfway point of the contest.
Brookhaven found itself in foul trouble early in the third quarter as both Sidney Chaffin and Brock Smith picked up their fourth fouls. Marshall looked primed to capitalize as they trimmed the deficit to 50-36 on a Taylor Maurey driving basket with 5:08 left in the quarter. Jake Reed’s lay-in and a Jamison Powell free throw got Brookhaven’s lead back to seventeen points at 53-46 but Marshall hung around and with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter a Chase Ferrell lay-in off a Cougar turnover made it 53-42. Brookhaven ended the quarter with two Brock Smith free throws for a 57-44 advantage with one quarter remaining.

(Above) Caleb Byrd of Marshall with a floater in the paint
Marshall managed to stay within thirteen points through the first four minutes of the fourth quarter but both Taylor Maurey and Jordan Brock fouled out and Brookhaven started to pull away. Nine straight points beginning at the 3:09 mark sent Brookhaven to a 76-56 lead with just under two minutes remaining as both benches emptied.
Marshall falls to 25-8 with the 84-57 loss and will take on Canton in the third place game this evening.
Jamison Powell and Jake Reed each had 19 points to lead Brookhaven. Sidney Chaffin added 16, Bubba Keene 14, Brock Smith 9 and Will Hickman and Matthew Evans 2 each.
Jordan Wyke led Marshall with 15 points, Chase Ferrell added 14, Jordan Brock 12, Jake Omedeo 9, Caleb Byrd 4, Taylor Maurey 2 and John Tomlinson 1.

(Above) Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven drives past Chase Ferrell (#5) of Marshall

Post game comments:
Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts
“Tonight I was really pleased with our guys. We had some ups and downs and different players went south on us a time or two but every one of them managed to regain their composure and come through and do what we needed them to do. Coach Dailey is an excellent coach and I didn’t know exactly what he would do so I was trying to be prepared for everything and the one thing his teams don’t do is quit. A team like that starts firing three’s on you and it can destroy a lead in a matter of seconds.”

What's your gameplan for facing Bowling Green for the sixth time this season?
“I don’t know. I can tell you right now that I’m going to sit on this win for about an hour and go to the hotel and figure out what I have to do because Bowling Green took it to us last week. Of course I’ll be honest with you, I think they’re better than us, I’ve been saying it all year and we’ve been fortunate enough to win. They have some great skill players but I think we do too so I believe it will be a great game.”