JACKSON — As the clock moved inside three minutes remaining in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A State championship game, quite a battle was going on between two of the state’s top players.
Olive Branch’s Myah Taylor and Starkville’s Kelsey Jones were trying to power their teams to a title in their final high school games.
The teams were trading slim one-point leads and the capacity crowd was hanging on every possession.
Jones then fouled out and Starkville never recovered.
Fourteen second-half turnovers provided the difference as the Olive Branch girls beat Starkville 57-54.
“I didn’t take last season well (losing in the state semifinal round),” Jones said. “This game was different. I felt like I gave it my all. I felt like my team gave their all. Playing for the championship was one of my goals. We just didn’t get it done.”
Olive Branch (33-1) lost at Starkville last season in the second round of the playoffs. The teams met during a holiday tournament in each of the previous two seasons. This season was different. Saturday’s matchup was the lone meeting of the teams that were ranked No. 1 (Olive Branch) and No. 2 (Starkville) from start to finish by The Clarion-Ledger.
“I knew they would be coming after us because we ended their season last year,” Starkville coach Kristie Williams said. “Those were two excellent teams playing their hearts out. I would have liked a different outcome, but the effort could not have been any better.”
Starkville (31-1) lost in the semifinals of the tournament in each of the past two seasons. The Lady Jackets had circled this date on the calendar for a year. Jones, an All-State center, was the squad’s lone senior.
“This year was different because I was a senior, and that meant I had to become more of a leader,” Jones said. “I really just tried to show the young girls how to play and how to win on this level. I knew how important leadership was for this team. I had an amazing career. Getting to Jackson three-straight times in quite an accomplishment. I really can’t hang my head about anything.”
Starkville used a 10-0 run to build a 23-14 lead midway through the second quarter. The Lady Jackets committed 11 first-half turnovers but were able to overcome that with strong offensive play from Jones and Tabreea Gandy.
Olive Branch turned up the defensive intensity and scored two baskets in the final nine seconds of the second quarter. Despite Jones missing a chunk of second-quarter playing time, Starkville shot 56.3 percent from the field and led 26-21 at halftime.
“We just really had to keep our composure,” said Olive Branch’s Taylor, who has signed with Mississippi State. “We have played a lot of really good games with Starkville, so we knew what to expect. We just had to be more aggressive on offense and start doing more on the defensive end. At halftime, the coaches reminded us defense is where we would win.”
Jones returned for the third quarter and gave her team an immediate lift.
Olive Branch center Katie Blackmon matched Jones stride for stride, but she also had foul problems. Olive Branch scored the final five points of the third quarter to pull within 34-33 at the end of the quarter.
It then appeared advantage Starkville when Blackmon fouled out with slightly less than seven minutes remaining. The Lady Jackets were able to get the ball inside three-straight possessions before Jones picked up her fourth foul in a scramble for a loose ball.
Taylor picked up her fourth foul one possession later, but she was able to finish the game.
With Jones out of the lineup for the final 2 minutes, 32 seconds, the Starkville guards struggled to get the ball into the front court.
“Our young guards really got rattled, especially there at the end of the game,” Williams said. “It’s different when you play on this stage. It’s different then the games you play to get to this point. They were sending two or three players after the ball and we didn’t respond. Instead of slowing things down and looking for a wide-open person down the floor, we rushed passes and made some unforced turnovers.
“That is youth. We will learn from it and get back to this point.”
Taylor scored the final 12 points for her team and had 16. Vaught added 14.
For Starkville, Jones had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Gandy had 13 points and Jariyah Covington had 12.
“It was a battle,” Williams said. “It was what you want out of a state championship game, except for the final score.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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