Prep, Starkville both look to repeat

Southern Sports & Travel

It was Final Four Friday yesterday in Clinton, Mississippi as the top four boys and girls teams in the MAIS met to decide who would advance to the championship round and a run at the Gold Ball.

When all was said and done last year’s Overall Champions, the Jackson Prep Patriots and the Lady Vols of Starkville, both won their respective games and will get the opportunity to win back-to-back championships this afternoon on the campus of Mississippi College.
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Jackson Prep 62 Marshall 48

Josh Williams scored 18 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 5 assists as Class AAA top ranked Jackson Prep defeated Class AA number one Marshall.

Marshall ran out to an early 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the contest before Josh Williams heated up from the perimeter connecting on two 3-pointers and a fast break lay-in to pull the Patriots to within a point at 9-8 with 3:30 left in the opening quarter.

Prep would grab their first lead of the game at 10-9 on two Gene Wood free throws but the Patriots would see Marshall close the quarter with a 7-2 run to end the first eight minutes of play with a 16-12 advantage.

Marshall pushed their lead to 21-12 to open the second quarter as Brad Bennett canned a 3-pointer from the wing and then scored at close range with 6:24 to go in the half  but Prep would rally with a 13-4 run to close the half with the game all tied up at 25-25.

Ryan Buchanan’s bucket in the paint forty seconds into the third quarter gave Jackson Prep the lead at 27-25 and it was a lead they never relinquished.

Prep stretched their lead to ten points at 40-30 at the 1:49 mark of the quarter following five straight turnovers by Marshall.

Marshall wrapped up the quarter with an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 42-38 but that would be as close as they would get.

Prep (34-3) outscored Marshall 20-10 in the fourth quarter to advance to today’s final.

Josh Williams led Prep with a game high 18 points, Cade Noble added 10, Ryan Buchanan 9, Richard Baird and Gene Wood 7 each, James Young 4, Wirt Dunbar, Wic Smith and Camp Geary had 2 apiece and Will Keeler 1.

Marshall (35-4) was led by Brad Bennett with 15, Dakota Dailey had 14, Peyton Lewis 7, Thomas Faulkenberry 4, Antonio Love, Randy Love, Devonte Smith 2 and Jacob Driggers 2 each.

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Starkville 68 Bowling Green 54

Starkville combined to hit eleven 3-pointers from the field and led most of the way in improving to 42-0 and extending the state’s longest winning streak to 51 games.

Maggie Proffitt and Nora Kathryn Carroll each scored 20 points and Sallie Kate Richardson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds as Starkville held off several Bowling Green runs through three quarters of play.

Bowling Green’s only lead would be at 2-1 but Starkville’s perimeter shooting was the difference in a well played first half.

Maggie Proffitt connected on two 3-pointers in the first quarter and Nora Kathryn Carroll drained one as Starkville took a 14-9 lead into the second quarter.

Starkville threatened to pull away during the first four minutes of the quarter as the Lady Vol’s torrid shooting continued.

Carroll hit another 3-pointer and Anna Lea Little connected on two 3-pointers to spark a 13-6 run to give Starkville their biggest lead at 27-15 with 4:22 remaining in the first half but Bowling Green would not go away.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Reagan Moody and Kristina Jerrell pulled the Class AA State Champions to within six points at 27-21 at the 2:17 mark.

Starkville would take that same six point spread at 33-27 into intermission.

The Lady Vols would manage to increase their lead by just one point in the third quarter as both teams virtually played to a dead heat heading into the final eight minutes of play with the defending Overall Champions maintaining a 48-41 lead.

Bowling Green outscored Starkville 5-2 in the first minute of the fourth quarter to pull to within four points at 50-46 but Starkville would stretch their lead to 59-50 with 3:06 remaining in regulation.

Bowling Green pulled back to within seven points at 59-52 following a Melissa Crowe basket in the paint but Starkville wrapped up the semi-final win with a 9-2 run down the stretch to take a 68-54 win and advance to today’s final.

Starkville was led by Maggie Proffitt and Nora Kathryn Carroll with 20 points each, Sallie Kate Richardson had 13 points and 10 rebounds, Anna Lea Little 8 points and 11 rebounds and Tiffany Huddleston had 7 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

Mackayla Dykes led Bowling Green (37-2) with 14 points, Caroline Haik and Melissa Crowe had 10 each, Kristina Jerrell 8 and Reagan Moody and Ashley Foret 6 each.
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Central Private 57 Parklane 36

Central Private outscored Parklane 19-4 in the first quarter and never looked back as the Rebels advanced to today’s final where they will looking to win the school’s first ever Overall Championship.

Liam Thomas scored 14 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked 14 shots as Class AA second ranked Central Private improved to 28-4.

The Rebels pushed their lead to 24-4 in the second quarter as Jaydyn Cohen converted on a transition basket and nailed a 3-pointer from the corner less than three minutes in.

A Liam Thomas basket in the paint extended the advantage to 26-4 with 3:03 to go in the half and the Rebels would take a commanding 29-9 lead into intermission.

Central Private opened with a 7-0 run to start the third quarter and grow the lead to 36-9 and would take a 40-18 lead into the final quarter.

Parklane outscored Central Private 18-17 in the fourth quarter.

Central Private was led by Jaydyn Cohen with a game high 16 points and 7 assists, Liam Thomas recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 21 rebounds and 14 blocked shots, Simpson Anderson had 8 points and 8 rebounds, Sryshawn Fitch and Thomas Kelly had 6 each, Loyd Ussery, Davonte Scott and Daniel McNamara had 2 apiece and Jordan Bowers 1.

Spencer Remley led Parklane (24-11) with 10 points, Zach Stutzman had 6, Philip Strawn 5, Tyler Stutzman and Brady Lea 4 each, Seth Travis 3 and Robert Pickett and Dan Gill 2 apiece.

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Post Game with Central Private Head Coach Henry Gantz

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Presbyterian 50 Leake 38

Trista Magee and Hannah Sellers combined for 33 points and 15 rebounds as Class AAA third ranked Presbyterian defeated Class AA runners-up Leake to advance to today’s championship game against defending Overall Champion Starkville. It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season.

In a hard fought, physical battle Presbyterian overcame a 9 turnover first quarter and a seven point halftime deficit to earn the right to play for their second Overall title in six years.

Presbyterian started out the third quarter looking at a 22-15 deficit but the Lady Bobcats would turn in one of their better defensive efforts of the season in the second half against Leake.

The Lady Bobcats trimmed the Leake lead to 22-20 as Trista Magee canned 5/6 free throws with just over half the quarter gone and a Hannah Sellers driving lay-in with 53 seconds remaining would knot the game at 22-22.

After Anna Kat Nowell hit one of two free throws to put Leake back on top at 23-22 Presbyterian ended the quarter with a Monica Breland bucket at close range to give the Lady Bobcats their first lead since the first quarter at 24-23.

Presbyterian limited Leake to one point in the pivotal third quarter.

Leake would find themselves down 28-25 just over one minute into the final quarter but an Anna Kat Nowell offensive rebound and put back and Chloe Thaggard’s free throw at the 6:01 mark knotted the game at 28-28.

Presbyterian responded with two Trista Magee free throws and a huge Reagan Dykes 3-pointer from the wing following a Leake turnover to push the Lady Bobcat lead to 33-28 with 5:16 remaining in regulation.

Hannah Sellers added two free throws to cap a 7-0 Presbyterian run and give the Lady Bobcats their biggest lead of the afternoon at 35-28.

After a Mary Grace Key free throw Presbyterian increased their margin to 38-29 on another Reagan Dykes 3-pointer with 4:21 left in the contest.

Leake would get no closer than eight points as Presbyterian improved to 29-6 with a 50-38 win.

Trista Magee led Presbyterian with a game high 19 points and 9 rebounds, Hannah Sellers had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, Reagan Dykes added 11 points, and Monica Breland, Holly Hawkins and Lilly Waites each had 2 points.

Leake (40-2) was led by Anna Kat Nowell and Mary Grace Key with 11 points each, Hannah Peoples added 9, Katie Webb, Hannah Moore and Khristen Evans 2 apiece and Chloe Thaggard 1.

Today’s girls championship game will tip at 1:00 pm while the boy’s will follow at approximately 3:15 pm.

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Post Game with Presbyterian Head Coach Missy Bilderback