Heritage boys, Immanuel Christian girls win

Junior forward Cade Lott knew right away where his Heritage Academy boys basketball team’s performance Tuesday night ranked this season.

“It was the best game we have played all year,” Lott said. “Easily. There is no question about it. We played really well.”

Few in attendance at the Heritage Academy Gym disagreed.

Heritage Academy scored the game’s first eight points and rolled past Immanuel Christian 65-37.

The teams managed a doubleheader split, as the Immanuel Christian girls earned a 51-45 victory in the opener.

Stuedeman sets tone for MSU softball

STARKVILLE — Passing showers Tuesday afternoon didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the Mississippi State University softball team.

The Bulldogs worked their way through their initial practice of 2012 inside the MSU Indoor Softball Complex as the first step toward the Feb. 9 season opener against the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala., and the debut of new coach Vann Stuedeman.

Yellow Jackets, Lady Jackets look for more consistency

In the long winding road of a high school basketball season, teams can learn lessons along the way.

When Starkville High lost its first two games of the season at the Joe Horne Christmas Classic in Columbus, Carter fell like his team could learn falling twice, while being the state’s top-ranked team.

EMCC faces Northeast in critical North Division battle

East Mississippi Community College men’s basketball coach Mark White repeatedly points out that there are several more basketball games left in the 2011-12 regular season.

In the very next breath, White talks about the extreme importance of the game at hand.

The Lions take on No. 17 Northeast Mississippi Community College with the early North Division lead on the line tonight.

Alabama can’t convert chances against MSU

STARKVILLE — In a heavyweight Southeastern Conference basketball battle of the big men Saturday afternoon, the University of Alabama men’s basketball team didn’t have an answer for Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie.

Moultrie scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, posting a conference-best ninth double-double, to help No. 20 MSU sneak past Alabama 56-52 in the Humphrey Coliseum.

Starkville, Heritage split basketball doubleheader

Heritage Academy boys basketball coach Yandell Harris stressed one thing to his squad Tuesday night: Rebound the basketball on the defensive end.

The players took the veteran coach’s advice to heart as they dominated the defensive rebounds en route to a 46-30 victory.

The schools split the doubleheader at Heritage Academy, as the Lady Volunteers rolled to a 67-42 victory in the opener.

Family, friends say goodbye to Starkville High’s Devin Mitchell

STARKVILLE – While Sunday’s memorial service for Starkville High student Devin Mitchell could have taken on a somber note, participants decided to make it a celebration of the young man’s life instead.

Family, friends say goodbye to Starkville High’s Devin Mitchell

STARKVILLE – While Sunday’s memorial service for Starkville High student Devin Mitchell could have taken on a somber note, participants decided to make it a celebration of the young man’s life instead.

Little does lots for Starkville Academy basketball

STARKVILLE — Anna Lea Little began her basketball career as a home-schooled teen-aged youngster.

Starkville Academy coach Glenn Schmidt is very pleased that Little’s family later changed their minds and enrolled her at the school.

New Hope girls, Noxubee County boys win

MACON — In the first five possessions of the second half Saturday night, the New Hope High School girls basketball team made a statement.

The Lady Trojans scored four points on one possession, garnered five offensive rebounds, blocked two shots, and forced three turnovers. That spree of activity quickly erased a six-point halftime deficit.

New Hope still need one more comeback as it later erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to post 60-49 win against Noxubee County.

In the nightcap, the Noxubee County boys built an early 15-point lead and held on for a 69-61 victory.

Columbus sweeps Noxubee County

Disappointing would be an understatement in describing the last time the Columbus High School girls basketball team took the floor.

After a 41-point loss at Hattiesburg, Columbus got the feel-good feeling back, rolling past Noxubee County 73-27 Tuesday night at home.

In the nightcap, the Columbus boys held for a 60-59 victory against Noxubee County.

Harris will lead East Oktibbeha boys into stretch run

STARKVILLE — A recent labor dispute between NBA players and owners forced the league to settle for a compressed schedule that requires some teams to play five games in one week.

That kind of workload doesn’t faze the East Oktibbeha County High School boys basketball team.

Starkville wins finale at Outlaw tournament

STARKVILLE — When Starkville High School boys basketball coach Greg Carter started drawing up the first Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump tournament, Friday’s game was what he wanted.

Rarely challenged in the first two months of the season, the top-ranked Yellow Jackets brought in three highly touted out-of-state opponents. Carter wanted to see how his players responded in pressure-packed situations against top-notched competition.

New Hope’s offense struggles in loss at Outlaw tournament

STARKVILLE — The New Hope High School boys basketball team had few answers offensively Friday afternoon in a 50-41 loss to Jackson Olin (Ala.) in a final-round game at the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump tournament.

New Hope (7-5) started slowly and never got its transition game going. The Trojans had only four field goals in the first quarter and trailed throughout the contest.

MSU baseball area’s top sports story

Mississippi State University has appeared in baseball’s College World Series on eight times.

Looking back at the 2011 season, some might find it hard to believe how close the Bulldogs were to a ninth trek to the hallowed grounds of Omaha, Neb.

Outlaw Tournament: New Hope knocks off East Oktibbeha

STARKVILLE – New Hope High senior basketball player Lawrence Brown had a lot of fun Thursday afternoon.

Brown scored 29 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as the Trojans hustled past East Oktibbeha 73-64 in a second-round game at the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump holiday basketball tournament being played at the Humphrey Coliseum on the Mississippi State University campus.

Starkville rolls in Outlaw Tournament opener

STARKVILLE — In the inaugural Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump holiday basketball tournament there are no plans for a slam dunk contest.

Don’t tell that to the Starkville Yellow Jackets. They broke out their own dunk competition during Wednesday night’s 74-27 romp over Strong, Ark., in an opening-round tournament game played at Humphrey Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi State University.

Aberdeen loses lead, game to Memphis East High

STARKVILLE — Aberdeen enjoyed a brilliant first half of basketball Wednesday in the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump high school basketball tournament.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Mathew Butler then found the range from downtown.

Butler hit four 3-point baskets in the second quarter as East High (Memphis, Tenn.) erased a 12-point first-half deficit to take an 80-73 win over Aberdeen at Humphrey Coliseum.

Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk tourney tips today

STARKVILLE — One of Starkville’s native sons will spread holiday cheer – basketball style – this week. The Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at The Hump, hosted by Starkville High, tips off with four games set for today in the Humphrey Coliseum on the Mississippi State University campus.

Plott elevates Tornadoes in return home

REFORM, Ala. — Pickens County High School football coach Patrick Plott hopes he is home for good.

In his first season in his second stint as coach of the PCHS football team, Plott led the Tornadoes to an 11-2 record and a second-place finish in Class 1A, Region 4. The season ended with a 38-36 loss at defending state champion Sweet Water in the third round of the playoffs.