COLUMBUS — The Lady Rams had another big win on Tuesday night in district play. Columbus Christian entered the contest as the top-ranked team in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 2A and showed why in a 44-29 win over fifth-ranked Kemper Academy.
The Rams improved to 11-4 thanks to a comeback effort after going 9-2 down in the opening minutes.
“When you play a really good team they can make you not plate your best,” Rams head coach Billy Thomas said after the game. “I felt like we weren’t playing well but it’s mostly because Kemper is ranked fifth in the state. They’re a good team and they came to play tonight. They were aggressive, hitting shots early and it took us a minute to get our feet under us.”
Guards Presley Andrews and Satavia Watkins pulled the strings for the Rams, the former leading the team with 15 points as the hosts were able to pull level and start to take over the game. Ada Farlow made some big plays as well down low, producing 13 points of her own and four in the final frame to seal the win.
“All year long, we’ve gotten into situations where we didn’t want to be but they keep fighting, they put the pressure on and get back in the ball game,” Thomas continued. “I wasn’t too upset in the first quarter because I knew they would come back.”
The two teams met last year to decide their district title, with the Rams winning that contest 56-47, and the tension was palpable from the fans and the players as the rematch played out at the CCA gym on Tuesday.
The intensity isn’t new for the Rams though, as they look to make it three straight trips to the state championship game.
“The first year I ever coached here we killed everybody during the season, we got to the state championship, we got spanked and we came home,” Thomas said. “We were used to playing easier teams, but we got there and saw real competition. I got home and said I never want that to happen again.”
The Rams have played against some much bigger schools this season, as well as some public schools, which has helped them improve ahead of their district matchups. Year by year, the Rams are ready when it comes time to play the best in their division. This group of seniors in particular has played at the very top for the last two years, and is ten wins away from 100 wins as a class.
The team has a rematch at Kemper set for Jan. 16 to close their district schedule, a game surrounded by matchups with larger schools such as Hartfield, Winston and Starkville Academy. With the playoffs around the corner it’s the kind of tuneup Thomas wants to see before the games matter that much more.
“We’re going to play tough competition, play up, and let that mold us into the team we want to be,” he said. “It’s worked for us for years, now we’re trying to get back to the championship game for the third year in a row.
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