Inside out or outside in.
Either way you diagram it, Anna Lea Little and Sallie Kate Richardson can make you pay. Their play is part of the reason the Starkville Academy girls basketball has forced the school to clear space in its trophy case.
Starting today, Little, a junior, and Richardson, a sophomore, will try to lead the Lady Volunteers on another championship run. At 4 p.m. today, Starkville Academy, the No. 1 seed from Division II, will take on Presbyterian Christian, the No. 4 seed from Division I, will play in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA state tournament at East Rankin Academy.
The winner of that game will advance to play the winner of today’s Jackson Academy-Hillcrest Christian game at 1 p.m. Friday. The top three teams from Class AAA will advance to the overall state tournament next week.
Starkville Academy coach Glenn Schmidt said having “eight starters” is a luxury, especially since all of the players have excelled in their roles. The ability of Little and Richardson to play multiple positions and to be effective from anywhere on the court has allowed them to be more than just a “shooter” or a “rebounder.”
Richardson may be the Lady Volunteers’ primary inside threat, while Little is equally dangerous facing or playing with her back to the basket.
“They are hard to guard. They are thunder and lightning,” Schmidt said. “You can pound it down in there or strike quick with either one of them.”
True to the team’s form, both players took turns leading the way last week at the Class AAA, Division II North State tournament at Heritage Academy. Little had 18 points in a 61-35 victory against East Rankin Academy on Saturday in the title game, Little had 12 and Richardson had eight in the semifinals against Hillcrest Christian, and Little had 25 and Richardson had 21 in an opening-round victory against Magnolia Heights.
Schmidt said both players have learned how to complement each other. She said the team, which had only eight players last season, has matured and understands the importance of playing defense, taking good shots, rebounding, and all of the little things that make it so dangerous.
Richardson doesn’t have the girth of a traditional post player. But she said she uses her quickness and her athleticism to keep defenders off balance. When teams think she is going to hang around the block, she can dart out to the wing and hit a jump shot. When defenders cheat out too much, she will take them to the block and post them up and complete the play with a deft move in the lane.
“The post players have worked really hard, which has helped a lot,” Richardson said. “I have worked hard on agility, post moves, posting up, and jumping.”
Richardson said it took time to develop the chemistry with Little, especially considering they have similar interchangeable skills.
“It is huge,” said Little, who is in her second season at the school after transferring from Starkville Christian. “She can hit a mid-range jump shots and she is really good in the post, and I can hit threes, so we just work off each other. I think we play really well together.”
Little said she considers herself a perimeter player first, and feels she has to improve her post moves. She said she worked hard in the offseason to develop as a player to be more aggressive. The attention to detail has helped give her a poise on the floor that almost dares opponents to stop her — inside or out.
“I have worked on my shot a lot, so I feel very confident in making shots,” Little said. “I am going to shoot when I am open.”
East Rankin coach Michael McAnally said Richardson and Little may not be a conventional post tandem, but he said their skills fuel the Lady Volunteers.
“Richardson is really their true post threat,” McAnally said. “Where Little gives you so much trouble is her size. She is 5-foot-10 out there and you really have to defend her with a guard because what she can do with the ball offensively.”
n In other state tournament action, Josh Williams had 12 points to lead the Jackson Prep boys basketball team to a 71-26 victory against Heritage Academy in the Class AAA state tournament at East Rankin Academy. Hudson Bean had seven points for Heritage Academy, the fourth seed from the North, which ended its season at 18-13.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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