Neshoba Central High School boys’ basketball coach Jerry Byrd knew the challenge of facing the state’s second-ranked team on its home floor.
The challenge was then even magnified when the Rockets took the floor minus two starters.
In the end though, Byrd brought the state’s top-ranked team to town and his squad played just like that.
After a slow start, Neshoba Central roared to the finish line of a 78-64 win over New Hope in the final game of the opening day of the New Hope Trojan Classic Friday night.
“Next man up,” Neshoba Central senior C.J. Ruffin said. “That has been our motto all year long. It doesn’t matter who is available at game time, we are going to play hard and compete.”
As the calendar turns to 2016, thoughts are quickly turning to the Athletics and Assembly Center and the Mississippi Coliseum, where the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A state tournament will be played this season. Marquee matchups such as this one help the teams get a feel of what is coming in February and March.
In the latest Clarion-Ledger Class 5A rankings, Neshoba Central (16-1) was No. 1, while New Hope (10-2) was No. 2. Neshoba Central won its eighth straight Friday night. After a season-opening nine-game win streak, New Hope lost for the second time in three games, with another huge matchup against Class 6A power Columbus on the tournament docket for Saturday night.
“This was an excellent opportunity for our team,” Byrd said. “New Hope plays so well at home. Obviously in the state tournament, you will have a neutral floor. However, it’s good during the regular season to go on the road and to expose your team to situations such as this. I am really proud of the second half we were able to put together.”
While New Hope was at home, Neshoba Central received the type of physical inside game it likes to play. The Rockets drew the whistles early and often.
“It is hard to win when the other team shoots 51 free throws (hitting 29) and you shoot only 22 (hitting 17),” New Hope coach Drew McBrayer said. “We told the kids to adjust, but we just weren’t able to do that the entire game. It’s hard when you have foul trouble and they keep attacking.”
Byrd said his team “usually shoots between 35 and 40 free throws per game.” It is a formula that has led to great success and totally turned the tide of Friday night’s matchup.
“It was our type of game, no question about that,” Byrd said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well in the first half. Fortunately, we kept getting to the line. We knocked more of those down in the second half.”
McBrayer said his team had “its best defensive start of the season.”
New Hope hit six of its first seven shots and quickly built a 20-13 lead after one quarter. This all took place despite leading scorer Terryonte Thomas, a Dandy Dozen junior, not scoring in the opening quarter.
Thomas drew his first foul 15 seconds into the game and his second foul with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Still, he played essentially the whole first half.
Thomas finally broke through in the second quarter with all eight of his team’s points. Neshoba Central righted the ship and used a good quarter from Ruffin and Bobby Anderson to tie the contest at 28 at half.
“This was a 1 versus 2 matchup and everybody gets excited about that,” Neshoba Central junior Chayton York said. “It doesn’t matter what sport it is in, you love to play in that type of game. We thought they would come out and give us their best shot. We just knew we had to keep our composure and settle into our game.”
The biggest blow for New Hope came with three seconds left in the half when Thomas drew his third foul on a loose-ball battle for a rebound. New Hope had already played a large part of the second quarter without defensive stopper Willie Ousley, who also drew two first-quarter fouls.
“In the first quarter, it wasn’t called tight,” McBrayer said. “After that, it was. I thought we had a great effort. We actually had a solid offensive night despite not having a consistent lineup with the foul trouble. I think you can learn a lot from this game.”
Thomas played virtually the entire contest despite getting his fourth foul in the third quarter. Ousley played more in the second half and finished with four fouls. Big man Toddy Jennings drew three third-quarter fouls and fouled out with his team clinging to life early in the fourth quarter.
Neshoba Central essentially put the contest away with an 11-0 run over the final couple of minutes of the third quarter.
After the Trojans whittled a 14-point deficit back down to 10 and had possession after a Carlos Brooks 3-point basket, a technical on the New Hope bench (the second technical after one on a New Hope player earlier in the game) halted the comeback.
The Rockets gained possession, hit the technical free throws and scored again to salt the contest away.
“Even though we were the No. 1 team, I think we learned something here tonight,” Ruffin said. “If we stay together as a team, we can do anything.”
Thomas finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks to lead New Hope. Brooks was also in double figures with 11 points.
“Hopefully, we have a chance to play them again,” New Hope senior Heratio Jackson said. “Coaches told us to adjust during the game, but it’s just hard. It seemed like we couldn’t do anything right. Hopefully, the next time will be different.”
Ruffin led Neshoba Central with 20 points, while Anderson added 19 points, Jaquan Dotson added 17 points and York added 16 points.
In the opener, the New Hope girls dropped a 49-39 decision to Neshoba Central.
New Hope (4-6) received 12 points from Alaysha Jennings and 10 points from Jada Jamison.
Neshoba Central (8-7) received 17 points from Relissia Ray and 12 points from Hannah Williams.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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