In a game where Robert Woodard II and Denijay Harris combined for 55 points, the Columbus High School boys basketball team couldn’t hang on to a late lead and lost to Clinton 67-62 in the first round of the Mississippi High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class 6A tournament.
Having a young team a year removed from the program’s first state championship after winning a state championship, Columbus coach Gary Griffin said he wouldn’t trade this team for any other and that he is excited about the experience the Falcons gained throughout a tough season.
“I’m very proud of the guys,” Griffin said. “I talked to the team about us playing the No. 1 strength of schedule in the state of Mississippi and playing great teams out of Chicago and these guys got a chance to experience a lot of things by playing high-level competition. I’m just proud of these guys, and we are looking forward to building on what we did this year.”
Clinton used a 14-0 run to build an early lead, but Woodard II scored eight points late in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 19-11 after eight minutes.
Down 14-1 early, Griffin said he told the players it was going to be a long game and not to get their heads down. Griffin was correct. Harris responded with a 3-pointer and three layups, while Woodard scored six points in the quarter to help Columbus (16-13) cut the deficit to 29-28.
In the third quarter, Harris hit three-straight field goals to tie the game. Woodard then missed a free throw, rebounded it, and posterized two Clinton players under the goal to give the Falcons the lead.
The teams went back and forth until midway through the fourth quarter. After Clinton big man Galin Smith fouled out, the Arrows responded by making shots to pull away.
Woodard did his best to keep Columbus close, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game late.
Woodard said the Falcons shouldn’t be sad as long as everyone gave their all. He said the experience Columbus gained this season should help position it for another good season next year.
“I’m happy with my performance,” Woodard said. “I feel like I could have brought a little more to the table, but then again I felt like I gave it everything I had on both ends of the court. There is no reason to be down about it. It’s part of the game.”
Woodard praised Harris, too, and said it was good for him to get the experience of playing a big role in a playoff game. He said that experience is going to help Harris develop into a strong player next season and help the team contend for another state title.
“The little bit of experience all of the younger guys gained this year will get us ready for next season,” Woodard said. “They’ll know what to expect and they wont be nervous and jittery. It will help us a lot.”
Woodard led the team with 30 points and eight rebounds, while Harris had 25 points. Senior Chris Blair grabbed five rebounds.
n In the girls game, Columbus rallied for a 61-52 against Clinton. It took a while for the Lady Falcons to settle down and adjust to Clinton captain Mychala Linzy, who hit two 3-pointers early to give her team a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Columbus (23-5) then decided to get the ball inside. Kennedi Stephens grabbed five rebounds and scored six points in the second quarter to help establish the post game. She helped lead the Lady Falcons to a two-point halftime lead.
Columbus coach Yvonne Hairston said the Lady Falcons made adjustments and saw an opening inside, so they changed the game plan to try and get the ball to the paint.
“We felt like their guards were really good and we felt like we can really score on the post most of the time,” Hairston said. “They put a lot of pressure on our guards, and it was really hard for them to stop us in the post. Our post just had a really good game, so that was our game plan to get it inside.”
Captain Zaria Jenkins took charge and scored 14 of her team-high 22 points in the second half to lead the way. Sophomore Hannah White added 14 points and four rebounds. Aniya Saddler also had five rebounds.
Hairston said hopes her team can perform well in the second round against Starkville, which beat them 61-54 and 48-38 earlier in the season. She hopes her team will have an edge in that it played in the first round while Starkville received a bye.
“We need to be aggressive,” Hairston said. “We just need to go in with an aggressive mind-set. It’s a do-or-die game for us. You win, you go on. You lose, you go home. Nobody wants to go home this late in the season. We are going to try to take this momentum to Starkville and wrap that game in purple and yellow.”
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