Starkville weathers challenge, extends streak to 31

Southern Sports & Travel

Second ranked Presbyterian had things going their way against top ranked and defending Overall Champion Starkville last night at Rees Gymnasium in Hattiesburg and at times looked primed to end the state’s longest win streak at 30 games. Presbyterian held leading scorer Maggie Proffitt to 8 points and sent starting center Sallie Kate Richardson to the bench early in the game with two fouls but after ending the first quarter with a 14-13 advantage the Lady Bobcats would never lead again as Starkville improved to 22-0 with a 53-43 win.

(Above) Starkville's Sallie Kate Richardson drives the lane during the first half

Starkville would run out to an early 5-1 lead two minutes into the first quarter but Presbyterian started hitting on all cylinders.

Reagan Dykes drained a 17 footer from the wing followed by a Monica Breland driving basket to knot the game at 5-5 at the 5:11 mark.

Trista Magee’s lay-in gave the Lady Bobcats a 9-8 lead and Magee would convert on one of two free throws on the following possession to give Presbyterian what would be their biggest lead of the game at 10-8 with 2:49 left in the opening quarter.

Starkville would regain the lead at 13-12 with 54 seconds showing on the clock as Anna Lea Little sank a 3-pointer but Presbyterian would close the quarter on a Trista Magee jumper from the elbow as the horn sounded to give PCS a 14-13 edge.

Starkville erupted to start the second quarter of play.

Anna Lea Little’s driving lay-in off the glass, plus one, gave Starkville the lead for good at 16-14 less than forty seconds into the quarter.

Following a Maggie Proffitt free throw Little would help push the Lady Vol lead to 20-14 as she scored off an offensive rebound, plus one, at the 5:29 mark.

Proffitt would cap a 9-0 run with an offensive rebound and put back to extend the Starkville lead to 22-14 with 3:11 remaining in the half.

Trista Magee’s assist to Hannah Sellers on a fast break basket halted the run and with 44 seconds left in the half Monica Breland’s bucket in the paint pulled the Lady Bobcats to within four points at 22-18.

(Above) Starkville senior Tiffany Huddleston (#21) converts off a Presbyterian turnover

Starkville closed the half on a Tiffany Huddleston steal in the backcourt and basket to give the defending champions a 24-18 halftime edge.

Huddleston would get the first basket of the third quarter as the senior hit a 17 foot jumper from the baseline to push the lead back to eight points at 26-18 but Presbyterian showed they had plenty fight left.

Lilly Waites hit a 3-pointer from the corner following a Starkville turnover and Reagan Dykes would convert another Lady Vol turnover into a bucket to pull Presbyterian to 26-23 with 5:11 remaining in the quarter.

After Starkville extended their lead to 31-23 Presbyterian fired off five straight points to pull to within three points once more at 31-28 with 3:01 left in the quarter but the Lady Bobcats would get no closer the rest of the way.

Presbyterian failed to capitalize on Maggie Proffitt leaving the game with her fourth foul at the 4:12 mark of the quarter.

Starkville would take a 36-30 lead into the final eight minutes of play as Sallie Kate Richardson found a cutting Anna Lea Little for a bucket to close the quarter.

Maggie Profitt drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key one minute into the fourth quarter to push Starkville’s advantage to nine points at 41-32 and after a 3-pointer from Presbyterian’s Reagan Dykes at the 5:47 mark made it 43-37 Starkville all but closed the door on the Lady Bobcats.

Maggie Proffitt converted on an offensive rebound and Tiffany Huddleston drained a 3-pointer from the corner as the lead grew to 48-37 and top ranked Starkville grabbed their biggest lead of the night at 51-37 on a Laura Lea Little lay-in, plus one, with 2:43 to play.

Starkville extended the state’s longest winning streak to 31 games and improved to 6-0 in district play.

Senior Anna Lea Little (Photo right) led Starkville with a game high 18 points. She added 8 rebounds to her stat line. Tiffany Huddleston added 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, Sallie Kate Richardson had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, Maggie Proffitt had 8 points and 6 rebounds and Nora Kathryn Carroll chipped in with 3 points.

Reagan Dykes led Presbyterian (19-2 & 5-1) with 13 points, Monica Breland added 10, Trista Magee 9, Hannah Sellers 6, Lilly Waites 3 and Holly Hawkins 2.

Next action for Starkville will be today as they host Copiah while Presbyterian travels to Copiah on Tuesday.

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Post Game with Starkville Head Coach Glenn Schmidt