The 2009/10 basketball season started back in late November with 56 teams working towards the ultimate goal of claiming a State AA Championship. After two weeks of district and regional state tournaments the field has been narrowed down to four boy’s and four girl’s teams. The state semi final brackets have been filled and on Friday in Indianola that field will be reduced to two.
In first round play on Tuesday the first team to punch a ticket for the semi finals was the Prairie View Lady Spartans who dominated Marshall 59-28. Caroline Oliphant poured in a game high 26 points to lead Prairie View to what some viewed as a mild upset over a hot Marshall squad.
(Above) Prairie View guard Caroline Oliphant scored a game high 26 pts
Oliphant set the tone early as the senior guard scored the first seven points of the game to put Prairie View on top early at 7-0. The Lady Spartans extended their lead to 10-0 on a Caroline Oliphant assist to Logan Tubbs at the 1:37 mark of the first quarter. Marshall got on the board as Callie Clanton made one of two free throws with 1:19 remaining but Prairie View finished the quarter strong with an Eliza Crockett 17 foot jumper and an Oliphant 3-pointer from the wing with 13 seconds left for a 15-1 advantage to end the opening quarter.
Marshall’s Emma Elgin canned a 3-pointer at the 5:08 mark of the second quarter that pulled the Lady Patriots to within fifteen points at 22-7 but they would get no closer as Prairie View maintained their lead throughout the quarter and ended the half with a 29-14 cushion.
Caroline Oliphant continued posing problems for the Marshall defense and during a three minute span in the fourth quarter the senior exhibited why she is one of the better players in the MAIS. At the 7:36 mark of the quarter Oliphant served up Molly Gregory with a beautiful wrap-around pass for an assist followed by two free throws with 6:33 remaining in the game. Oliphant then nailed a 3-pointer from the wing with 5:13 left and finally a steal and lay-in at the 3:59 mark that gave Prairie View a commanding 55-25 lead. 
(Above) Oliphant narrowly missed a triple-double in first round action
Caroline Oliphant had 10 rebounds and 6 assists to go along with her game high 26 points to lead the Lady Spartans, Logan Tubbs added 10 points, Eliza Crockett had 8, Molly Gregory 7, Jerri Ann Lord 4 and Victoria Billings and Kristin Kindrix 2 apiece.
Callie Clanton led Marshall with 12 points, Kelsey Shaw added 7, Emily Burk 6 and Emma Elgin 3.
Prairie View improves to 24-6 and advances to the semi finals where they will face Brookhaven for the second time in a week. The two paired off in a nail-biter last week at the South AA Tournament.
Marshall ends their season at 16-19 and will have everyone returning next season except senior Emily Burk.
Post game comments:
Prairie View head coach Dave Farrell
What was the game plan with regards to slowing down a hot Marshall team?
“The game plan was to create a 94 foot game by pressing and pushing the ball. I thought we did a good job of that. Although we didn't turn them over on the press all that much, we concerned them with something other than getting to their spots to shoot,” said Farrell.
“Marshall can really shoot the ball, especially if you let them set their feet. We wanted to "run them off the arc" and make them put the ball on the floor. I thought our girls were excellent on their defensive preparation and effort last night - maybe our best defensive game this season.”
What were you pleased with and what, if anything, were you displeased with?
“To be honest, there wasn't much I could be displeased with last night. We worked very hard on defense the entire night and every one of our players executed their role to the best of their ability. The only problem we had was making layups. I think we missed 8 or 9 point blank shots. We'll clean that up over the next 2 days, but I think some of them were just nerves. This is the first trip to "state" for most of our team.”
PV…15…14…17…13…59
MA…1….13…11….3….28
In the first boy’s matchup of round one the Canton Panthers edged Columbia 43-37 to advance and face number one seed Bowling Green on Friday. Michael Jerome had a game high 18 points as Canton gained control in the fourth quarter of a matchup that produced five lead changes and four ties.
(Above) Eddie Drane (#20) of Canton guarded by Tanner Pace of Columbia
Columbia moved out to an early 5-2 lead on a Drew Broome turnaround jumper and 3-pointer from the corner less than two minutes in. Canton took their first lead of the evening at 6-5 on a Michael Jerome offensive rebound and put back with 5:41 remaining in the opening quarter. Jerome’s basket with 13 seconds left put the Panthers up 12-10 to end the first quarter.
Columbia regained the lead at 16-15 at the 4:44 mark of the second quarter on Tanner Pace’s 3-pointer from the wing and increased their lead to 18-15 on a Pace 17 foot jumper but Canton finished with six straight points to take a 21-18 lead into the half.
In a razor thin third quarter the lead changed hands twice and neither team enjoyed more than a four point lead. Columbia pulled to within one point at 30-29 on a Tanner Pace 3-pointer to end the quarter.
Canton took control early in the final quarter as the Panthers scored the first seven points for a 37-29 cushion with just over five minutes left in the game. Columbia got to within two points at 39-37 following a Tanner Pace free throw and an offensive rebound and put back from Christian Robbins with 1:46 remaining but that would be the Cougar’s final basket as Canton converted on 4/9 free throws down the stretch to earn a 43-37 first round win.
Michael Jerome had a game high 18 points to lead Canton, Eddie Drane had 8, Will Balentine added 7, Taylor Pierce 6 and Chris Reed 4.
Columbia was led by Tanner Pace with 17 points, Drew Broome added 14, Cole Oglesbee 3, Christian Robbins 2 and Taylor Fortenberry 1.
Canton improves to 20-10 while Columbia finishes their 2009/10 campaign with a 20-11 mark. 
(Above) Columbia center Christian Robbins (#0) gets a piece of a Canton shot
“I was impressed by our team’s effort and help-side defense,” said Canton head coach Jeremy Sumrall. “We challenged ourselves at halftime and finished strong.”
Canton will take on Bowling Green on Friday in the semi finals. “Their guard (Edwards) scares me,” said Sumrall. “Their center, Shod Fortenberry, is big and strong but I think we’ll match up well with him but we have to keep Edwards out of the paint.”
CA…12…9.…9…13…43
CO…10…8..11…8….37
The Kirk Raiderettes overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Bowling Green 46-37 to earn the right to face top ranked Leake in the semi final round on Friday. The three lone seniors on the Kirk roster combined for 42 points as the third ranked Raiderettes improved to 31-3 on the season. Holly Wells and Beth Mann each had 16 points and fellow senior Allye Lundy chipped in with 10 to propel Kirk past the Lady Bucs. 
(Above) Holly Wells (#5) of Kirk looks to inbound
In a first quarter that had five lead changes Bowling Green took a slim 15-14 lead into the second quarter on two Mackayla Dykes free throws.
For all that the first quarter was the second quarter was just the opposite as neither team had much success offensively. Bowling Green hit four free throws for their only points while Kirk managed just one free throw to close out the half with Bowling Green on top 19-15.
Bowling Green grabbed their biggest lead of the night to start the second half when two Mackayla Dykes free throws put the Lady Bucs on top 21-15 one minute into the quarter but Kirk started finding openings in the Bowling Green defense. The three Kirk seniors took control in the quarter as they accounted for 11 of the 14 points in what was a 14-5 run to end the third quarter. Kirk regained the lead at 29-26 on an Allye Lundy 3-pointer from the wing with 2 seconds on the clock.
The Raiderettes exploded in the final quarter with a 13-2 run to extend their lead to 42-28 at the 4:06 mark. Kirk took their biggest lead at 45-30 on a Holly Wells 3-pointer from the corner with 2:50 remaining en-route to a 46-37 first round win. 
(Above) Courtney Parella (#30) of Kirk calls for the ball against the Bowling Green zone defense
Holly Wells and Beth Mann led Kirk with 16 points apiece, Courtney Parella added 10 and Allye Lundy had 4.
Mackayla Dykes had a game high 17 points to lead Bowling Green, Whitney Crowe and Caroline Haik added 6 each, Beth Reedy 5 and Brittany Cooper 3.
Bowling Green finished their season wit a 25-10 mark.
KA…14…1…14…17…46
BG…15…4….7…11…37
The final game of round one was one of much anticipation. Soon after Brookhaven’s loss to Bowling Green in the South AA State title game last Saturday much banter had started spreading about the matchup between Brookhaven and Hillcrest. The two teams that between the both of them had held down the top ranking through much of the season were set to go at it in a first round elimination game. Through the first two quarters of play the pregame hype seemed to be worthy as Hillcrest clung to a 22-21 lead at the half but Brookhaven exploded for 48 second half points en-route to a 69-53 win to advance to the semi finals where they’ll face top ranked Marshall. 
(Above) Austin Hartzog (#42) of Hillcrest draws attention from Sidney Chaffin (#33) and Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven
The first four minutes of the opening quarter produced four baskets including an Austin Hartzog bucket plus one that put Hillcrest on top 5-4 at the 4:37 mark. Caleb Baucum’s 15 foot baseline jumper followed by a Hartzog basket off an inbounds pass pushed the Hillcrest lead to 16-8 with 48 seconds remaining in the first quarter of play. A Sidney Chaffin free throw ended the quarter with Hillcrest on top 16-9.
Brookhaven put together a 9-2 run to start the second quarter and pulled even with Hillcrest at 18-18 with 5:23 remaining in the first half. Jamison Powell canned two free throws to give Brookhaven a 20-18 lead at the 4:07 mark but Hillcrest quickly answered as Preston Haynes drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to put Hillcrest back up 21-20. Both teams traded a free throw and Hillcrest went into the locker-room with a slim 22-21 edge.
The teams traded leads once again to start the third quarter. Sidney Chaffin’s 12 foot jumper gave Brookhaven the lead at 23-22 just one minute into the quarter but another Preston Haynes jumper had Hillcrest with a one point lead at the 6:40 mark. Hillcrest would tie the game at 26-26 on Caleb Baucum’s jumper from the elbow but Brookhaven took control of the game at that point. Another Brookhaven run, this time 18-8, sent the defending state champs to a 44-34 advantage after three quarters of play.
Jamison Powell opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to extend the Brookhaven lead to 47-34 as the Cougar defense put a strangle hold on any Hillcrest attempt to get back into the game. After Hillcrest guard Preston Haynes hit a 3-pointer to make it 47-37 Brookhaven reeled off nine straight points, highlighted by a Jake Reed lob to Sidney Chaffin, that gave Brookhaven their biggest lead of the night at 56-37 and 5:39 remaining in the game. Hillcrest trimmed the deficit to twelve points at 62-50 following a Baucum 3-pointer with 1:17 left but Brookhaven hit 5/8 free throws the final minute to seal up a 69-53 win. 
(Above) Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven had a game high 22 pts
“Once we settled down we did a good job,” said Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts. “We had 16 first half turnovers.” On Brookhaven’s defensive performance Watts added, “We changed defenses and took Rogers out of the game. We went to a combination defense to slow him down and we were able to double down on Hartzog a little.”
Brookhaven was led by Sidney Chaffin who had a game high 22 points, Jamison Powell added 20, Jake Reed 19, Bubba Keene 5 and Brock Smith 3.
Austin Hartzog led Hillcrest with 20 points, Caleb Baucum added 13, Preston Haynes 11, Josh Rogers 6 and Zach Ball 3.
Brookhaven improves to 25-6 while Hillcrest ended their season at 28-5.
BA….9…12…23…25…69
HC..16…6….12…19…53
