MSU moving forward despite lack of depth

STARKVILLE — Rick Stansbury knew depth was going to be an issue this season.

The Mississippi State men’s basketball coach entered the season without backup point guard Twany Beckham and with the status of prized freshman Shaun Smith uncertain due to injury.

On top of that, the Bulldogs have had to deal with a nine-game suspension to center John Riek, who was recovering from knee surgery in 2008, an NCAA investigation into freshman forward Renardo Sidney that has kept him out of uniform, and nagging injuries to Elgin Bailey that have prevented him from being a contributor.

Alabama buying into Grant’s defensive mind-set

LSU coach Trent Johnson can attest to it.

Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury is a believer in it, too.

Nineteen games into the season, it looks like the University of Alabama men’s basketball team has bought into coach Anthony Grant’s defensive mind-set.

The Crimson Tide showcased their stinginess Saturday, holding No. 23 Mississippi State to 31.7 percent shooting from the field in a 62-57 victory at Coleman Coliseum.

New Hope suffers close loss in playoffs

A one-goal lead is the most dangerous advantage a team can have.

The worst fear for coaches is the cushion can lead to a false sense of security and give the opposing team momentum to rally.

The New Hope High School boys soccer team nearly made that adage come true Tuesday night.

The Trojans used a penalty kick by Tanner Ryals late in the second half to tie Callaway, only to see the Chargers score the game-winner minutes later to steal a 2-1 victory in their Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A first-round North Half State playoff game at Trojan Field.

Local soccer teams gear up for playoff openers

The New Hope High School boys soccer team wants to keep its historic season going.

To do that, the Trojans will have to protect their home field at 5:30 p.m. today when they play host to Callaway in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North Half State playoffs.

Starkville High’s Day does it on both ends of field

Some players have a knack for making a difference on one end of the field.

Whether it is with blazing speed or a deft touch, forwards and midfielders can wreak havoc on defenses.

But defenders who have those skills often don’t attract the same accolades. Their satisfaction comes from the final zero on the scoreboard.

MSU women bid to snap losing skid

STARKVILLE — The time to find solutions is running out.

Two-game losing streaks in January don’t ruin a season’s worth of work.

But when your ultimate goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, losing skids at this time of the season can be devastating.

The Mississippi State women’s basketball team is in danger of allowing back-to-back losses to become something greater.

The Lady Bulldogs (12-7, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) will try to prevent that from happening at 2 p.m. today when they play at Vanderbilt (14-5, 3-3).

Intensity, effort keys for Starkville basketball teams

STARKVILLE — All the Starkville High School basketball teams need is energy and a little patience.

The boys and girls teams showed Friday just how important intensity and effort will be to the rest of their seasons in two drastically different results.

In the boys game, the Yellow Jackets had revenge as their motivation, and they didn’t disappoint. Rashad Perkins scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Gavin Ware added 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead Starkville past Tupelo 69-54.

Starkville Academy plays Starkville to tie in soccer

STARKVILLE — Maybe this one will start a trend.

The quality of play on display Saturday in the Starkville High-Starkville Academy boys soccer match at the Starkville Sportsplex certainly deserves a second chance.

The fans and players are entitled to another meeting next season based solely on the result: a 2-2 tie that should help both teams prepare for the postseason.

Ole Miss out-scraps Mississippi State

OXFORD — Digging and clawing are two reasons the Ole Miss and Mississippi State women’s basketball teams are going in opposite directions.

On one end, Shantell Black and Kayla Melson attacked the rim with purpose and Nikki Byrd wouldn’t be denied on the backboards.

On the other, MSU continued to start and stop, sputtering between turnovers and missed opportunities with a cautiousness not welcome in the Southeastern Conference.

Rack will try to help MSU reach its potential

STARKVILLE — Alexis Rack tells it like it is.

The Mississippi State senior guard doesn’t mind direct questions because she will be very honest with her feelings about her play and the team’s performance.

Thomas works with Price at practice to improve

Bianca Thomas wants the basketball in her hands, even if it is against a professional.

Thomas’ confidence that she can deliver for the University of Mississippi women’s basketball team stems in part from the work she does daily in practice against former Rebel and current WNBA standout Armintie Price.

Amory beats Caledonia in soccer to take step toward title

CALEDONIA — Things were set up perfectly for the Caledonia High School boys soccer team.

A victory in a penalty kick shootout at Amory High last week gave Caledonia the inside track on clinching the Class 4A, Division 3, District 1 title.

But Morgan Mansfield has coached long enough to know that nothing in sports is guaranteed.

In fact, Mansfield was concerned Monday after a lackluster practice that the Confederates wouldn’t be mentally prepared to deliver the same kind of focused effort they turned in at Amory High.

Jones finds touch for Starkville Academy

STARKVILLE — Assists are just as good as goals to Frankie Jones.

If pushed to give a preference, Jones isn’t going to deny he enjoys scoring goals a little bit more.

But you wouldn’t know it by Jones’ performance so far this season.

The Starkville Academy senior forward/midfielder notched four goals and four assists to help the Volunteers close the week with victories against Heritage Academy and Magnolia Heights.

Jones’ efforts helped Starkville Academy improve to 7-0 on the season.

For his accomplishments, Jones is The Commercial Dispatch Prep Player of the Week.

Florida holds on to beat MSU

STARKVILLE — Amanda Butler didn’t think it would last.

When Fox Sports Net analyst Carol Ross asked Butler at halftime what her University of Florida women’s basketball team would have to do in the second half to maintain its three-point lead against Mississippi State, Butler said the Lady Gators would have to step up their defense.

Butler’s thinking was simple: MSU has been a second-half team and the odds were Alexis Rack and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs weren’t going to shoot as poorly in the second half

Diaz, Wilson join MSU football coaching staff

STARKVILLE — Manny Diaz and Chris Wilson know people don’t want to play against coach Dan Mullen’s offense.

In time, Diaz and Wilson hope opponents say the same thing about facing Mississippi State’s defense.

On Saturday, it became the job of Diaz and Wilson to remake the Bulldogs’ defense into one of the nation’s top units.

Mullen officially introduced Diaz and Wilson as his assistant coaches at halftime of the Georgia-MSU men’s basketball game. The moves are pending approval from the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Turner provides spark for MSU Bulldogs

STARKVILLE — Phil Turner knew it was going to take more than a smile and a prayer to beat Georgia.

So after erasing one double-digit deficit only to see the University of Georgia rebuild its cushion in the second half, the Mississippi State junior guard realized something more needed to be done.

Turner was only happy to oblige.

The energy and thievery Turner provided in a pressure defense in the final 5 minutes, 13 seconds proved to be contagious Saturday and helped MSU recover for an 82-79 victory against Georgia before a crowd of 7,682 at Humphrey Coliseum.

MSU’s Mokango seeks repeat performance

STARKVILLE — Chanel Mokango hopes to find the energy again today.

On Thursday, the 6-foot-5 senior center had one of her best games of the season to help lift the Mississippi State women’s basketball team to an impressive victory at the University of Arkansas.

At 2 p.m. today, Mokango will try to deliver a repeat performance when MSU (12-5, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) plays host to Florida (9-8, 2-2) at Humphrey Coliseum.

Defense leads New Hope basketball team to victory

Defense is the engine that drives the New Hope High School boys basketball team.

Former coach Robert Byrd helped perfect the formula of in-your-jersey pressure and relentless effort. Those ingredients ultimately paid off for Rashanti Harris, Dale Hughes and the rest of the Trojans in a Class 4A state title in 2008.

The Trojans showcased those same skills last season. An undersized and inexperienced team used grit and resolve to rack up a 25-6 record before it lost to eventual Class 4A state champion Callaway in the third-place game of the North Half State tournament in Jackson.

West Point girls beat New Hope to make district race closer

The district race in one half of Class 5A, Region 2, District 1 got a little closer Friday night.

Junior Kelsei Ewings scored a game-high 27 points to lead a three-pronged attack that helped the West Point High School girls basketball team beat New Hope 66-58 in Columbus.

In the boys game, Johnathan Brandon had a game-high 21 points to lead New Hope to a 53-45 victory.

New Hope baseball players sign scholarships

A talented class of senior baseball players at New Hope High School made its first mark on the college game Friday afternoon.

East Mississippi Community College’s Tony Montgomery and Wallace State College’s Randy Putnam hope to be the beneficiaries.

Montgomery signed infielder Philip Tice and pitcher/catcher Jake Upton to scholarships, while Putnam added pitcher/outfielder Jake Smith to the fold for the 2010-11 season.