CALEDONIA — Caledonia High School girls coach Ame Walker hoped to send her team into winter break with a win to build from.
But a choppy first half kept the Cavaliers from achieving that in Thursday’s home game against Smithville (6-6).
Caledonia (3-7) had only 13 points at halftime, faltered in a key stretch in the fourth quarter and lost to the Seminoles, 46-43.
“We just didn’t show up in the first half,” Walker said.
With the Cavs down 21-13 at the break, she challenged her team, telling them, “You’ve got to want it a little bit more.”
“I feel like they did,” Walker said. “They rose to that challenge. They just kind of fell short of it.”
Caledonia battled back to take the lead on a layup by junior Tenyzia Lathan, who finished with 23 points to lead all scorers, with a minute to go in the third quarter. The Cavs even pushed their lead to 38-31 as the Seminoles began to fall apart.
But all of a sudden, Smithville regrouped, and Caledonia reeled. The visitors rattled off 12 straight points to take a five-point advantage before Lathan tied the game on an and-one with a minute and 39 seconds to go.
“She was huge tonight,” Walker said. “… She was perfect from the free-throw line, and that’s really something we’ve stressed and worked on. When she goes, the wheels turn.”
Walker also credited the play of senior Dominique Hodges, who didn’t score Thursday but didn’t need to in order to make an impact.
“She does a lot of work that doesn’t show up on the scoreboard and in the stats, but I really felt like she’s a difference-maker to us,” Walker said.
But neither player could will Caledonia to a win Thursday night. Smithville’s Tristin Price was fouled on a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, and she made two free throws to break the tie. The Cavs came up empty on their last two possessions as the Seminoles added another point at the line to make the final margin three and deny Caledonia a chance at a momentum-building win.
“We’re going to get there,” Walker said. “Rome was not built in a day. They’re working hard.”
Still, the Cavs know they need to improve their play at home for future contests.
“The people we have lost to, we’re expecting to win against them when they come to our house,” Lathan said.
Smithville boys 75, Caledonia 74
Tony Seals knows where he went wrong Thursday against Smithville.
With several Cavaliers in foul trouble in the second half, the Caledonia boys coach switched to a zone defense. The Seminoles (7-1) promptly stepped out and hit three 3-pointers in a dominant stretch that pushed their lead to 68-54. Caledonia (3-7) made a late run but never quite caught up in a 75-74 loss.
“I take that loss,” Seals said. “I should have trusted my instincts and stayed man.”
The first-year Cavs coach was certainly dealt a tough hand with senior point guard Jarvis Leigh struggling with fouls and an opponent with several standout scorers. Khirei Standifer made five 3s and finished with 28 points for Smithville; Aden Casey added 22 points.
For Caledonia, junior Jeremy Emerson scored 23 points, freshman Issac Grady had 22, and Leigh finished with 16.
Caledonia took a 33-31 lead into the halftime break before Casey hit a layup in the third quarter to flip the lead to the road team. Shortly afterward, Standifer hit a 3, grabbed a steal and sank a layup of his own to give Smithville a crucial 58-50 advantage.
But after the Seminoles took their largest lead of the night at 14 points, Caledonia went on a quick 11-0 run to cut the margin to 68-65 with just over three minutes to go. Down three, though, a three-second violation on Caledonia’s Trey Williams cost the Cavs a chance to tie.
The home crowd did get one last moment to cheer when Whitfield sank a deep 3-pointer at the final buzzer to cut the final margin to a point. For a Cavs team that lost 71-48 to the Seminoles on the road just four weeks ago, the improvement was noted, Seals said.
“After a while, we started figuring it out,” Seals said. “I think we’re on that path now.”
Other scores
Prep Girls Soccer
Winona 2, Columbus 1
WINONA — The Columbus High School girls soccer team fell 2-1 in Thursday’s road match at Winona.
Alexus Gillian had the only goal for the Falcons.
Columbus’ next match is Jan. 5 at Louisville.
Prep Boys Soccer
Columbus 2, Winona 0
WINONA — The Columbus boys kept a clean sheet and notched a 2-0 win on Thursday in Winona.
Destin Poindexter had both goals for the Falcons.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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