JACKSON — Playing against New Hope High School’s talented boys basketball team is a tall order. So imagine playing against a similar group that is a bit taller, a bit stronger and a bit faster.
That’s the situation the Trojans found themselves in Friday night against Holmes County Central in the MHSAA Class 5A championship game at Mississippi Coliseum.
The defending champion Jaguars (23-8) raced to a 33-19 halftime lead and never let the Trojans make a significant run during the second half to post a 76-61 win.
“We came out in the first half and got behind the 8-ball a little bit and didn’t give it our best effort,” New Hope coach Drew McBrayer said. “We got down at halftime, and we had to come out in the second half and spend a lot of energy just to try to get back in the ball game. We’d cut it to 10, and they’d make another basket. We’d get back in there and have a chance, and we’d miss a basket or give up an offensive rebound.”
It didn’t take long for the Jaguars to show they were the better team. After Trojans senior Caleb Parr skied for an offensive rebound and put in a layup for an 8-7 New Hope lead, Holmes County Central went on a 15-3 run. Louzavious Thomas, the Jaguars’ 6-foot-7 wing, scored six of those points, winning a fight for a rebound and getting a putback, making a nice move along the baseline for a layup and making the arena rock with a one-handed putback for a 15-9 lead.
Thomas finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds and was an easy choice for player of the game honors, although the Jaguars certainly had plenty of talent around him.
“We knew they’re the defending champions for a reason,” McBrayer said. “They brought four starters back off the championship team from last year. They’re big, they’re athletic, they’re long, they create a lot of havoc, and we were a little shell-shocked early with that.”
A relatively low-scoring second quarter ended with Holmes County Central scoring the last five points of the half for a 14-point lead.
“We got killed on the glass in the first half,” McBrayer said. “I thought it was the big difference in the ball game. Of course, athletic as they are and as well as they shoot the ball, that’s going to happen sometimes. They were definitely the better team tonight.”
The Jaguars’ lead briefly hit 20 after Thomas took a baseball pass and slammed it home for a 64-44 bulge just under the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, but for the most part the lead stayed between 12 and 18 points almost the entire second half.
“We came out and played pretty hard in the second half, but you could never make up the ground,” McBrayer said.
Junior LJ Hackman also scored in double figures, netting 10 points as the Trojans finished 23-5. Despite the relatively one-sided finale, it was a season to remember in New Hope.
“I just told them in the locker room, I was proud of every one of them,” McBrayer said. “There’s still only two teams playing tonight, and it’s a big accomplishment to be here. I know we came up short, and I know it hurts them right now, but just to be able to get to this point in the season was a big accomplishment, and I’m proud of every one of them.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
READER FAVORITES
Related Photos
Senior wing Louzavious Thomas of Holmes County Central goes up for an emphatic dunk during the MHSAA Class 5A boys basketball final on Friday night in Jackson. The Jaguars repeated as state champions with a 76-61 win over New Hope. Austin Frayser/Special to The Dispatch
Join the Discussion