The MHSAA basketball playoffs began late last week with some area schools like Starkville and Columbus both earning blowout wins to keep their state championship dreams alive. Here’s a look at how they fared.
Starkville
Both of Starkville’s teams carried their regular-season domination into the first round of the Class 7A playoffs on Friday and Saturday with two blowout victories to ignite their trophy chase.
On Friday, the Yellow Jackets’ girls team got things started with a 72-11 blowout of Hernando, a game in which four different players produced double digit points. But it was the team’s defense that shined the most.
The visiting Tigers were swarmed by the Jackets all game and struggled to put the ball though the hoop, falling behind 52-6 at halftime. Logan Warren and Zariah Brown both scored 14 points each to lead the team, and Jade Brown added 11 points seven rebounds and five steals. Yasmine Roberts also scored 11 points with six rebounds and one block, and Jada Gay and Kamare Holmes each chipped in eight points. Gay, who was named Miss Basketball in 7A, also grabbed four rebounds and passed for six assists and she also notched a team-high eight steals.
On Saturday, Starkville’s boys squad followed up with a dominant performance of its own in a 64-20 rout of Lewisburg.
Jaden Tate and TJ Warren both provided strong outings as they poured in 19 points each to propel their team to an early 19-2 lead that Patriots couldn’t overcome.
Jerwan McCarter added 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Deuce Howard had five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Both teams are headed to the quarterfinals for games that will be held at Mississippi Valley State University on Thursday. The boys (26-3) will play Tupelo at 5:30 p.m on while the girls (28-3) play at 7 p.m. against Clinton.
Columbus
The Falcons’ boys team’s run to a Class 5A title got off to a hot start on Saturday with a 71-32 walloping of visiting Florence in the first round of the playoffs. Columbus’ girls team, though, went on the road to play at Florence and fell in a heartbreaker in double overtime.
The boys, who captured the Region 1-5A title, carried a 19-4 lead to the second quarter and piled on 21 more points for a 40-14 advantage at halftime. Mr 5A Basketball award winner Michael Hood Jr. made 6-of-8 shots for a team-high 18 points with eight rebounds, and Davie Verdell added 12 more points with 11 boards for a double-double. Tylan Brown chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and four assists with three steals, and Maxwell Leach shot 3-of-6 from deep for nine points and three assists.
There was a break of eight days between the Falcons’ last game and their contest against Florence, which head coach Phillip Morris said helped them prepare to dominate.
“We basically knew exactly what they were doing and when they were doing it,” he said. “We knew all the offensive sets they had and like to run. … We had their offense down to a ‘T.’ … They guys came out and played hard and executed. We started out with great energy and got great energy from the crowd.”
Columbus’ girls went on the road to take on the Eagles, but couldn’t pull through in the very end in a 51-49 loss that went to double overtime.
A 16-point second-quarter pulled the Falcons ahead for a 20-17 lead at the break. Both teams tied in the third quarter with 10 points each, but Florence responded by winning the fourth quarter 9-6 to force an extra period. Neither team could separate themselves and produced eight points each, but the Eagles managed to create the distance in the second overtime period by outsourcing Columbus 7-5.
The girls end their season at 12-15 while the boys (24-5) advance to Friday’s quarterfinal bout against Lanier at Mississippi Valley State University. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m.
New Hope
The Trojans’ girls team booked its ticket to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs on Friday with a 54-49 win over Lanier, but their boys team saw its campaign come to a close on the road against the same school.
The girls were in a back-and-fourth battle that resulted in them holding a slim 28-27 lead at halftime and went up 35-30 just before the beginning of the fourth quarter, where the team managed to pull away for the victory.
New Hope’s boys team found itself on the wrong side of a romp in a 77-39 loss to the Bulldogs on the road that ended their season at 11-15 overall. The girls (18-7) will take on Holmes County Central in the quarterfinals on Friday at Mississippi Valley State. The game begins at 7 p.m.
Caledonia
Both of the Cavaliers basketball programs met their season’s end on the road at the hands of Holmes County Central on Friday in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
The girls (15-12) fell 58-37 to the Jaguars while the boys (8-18) lost 71-39.
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