WEST POINT — Starkville boys basketball was put in an unfamiliar position headed into the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s game against West Point.
The Yellow Jackets, who had been struggling on both sides of the ball, trailed the Green Wave, 35-32, after three quarters, using a late run to cut what was nearly a double-digit deficit down to three points.
They needed a spark plug and fast. Enter senior guard Connor Rogers.
Rogers led the Yellow Jackets with 13 points entering the fourth, but in the fourth, he found an extra gear, scoring 15 points — including six straight early on to give Starkville the lead — as the Yellow Jackets snatched victory from West Point in comeback fashion, winning 52-46.
“He had games like this where we had to lean on him down the stretch, hand him the ball, make plays and guard the best player on the other side,” Starkville head coach Qu’Varius “Woodie” Howard said. “Tonight, he came out and did it.”
Rogers made his living at the foul line in the fourth quarter, shooting 11 of 13 from the line, silencing what was a packed and raucous crowd at West Point.
When he had the ball in his hands, even if he got fouled, there was anything but panic from the senior, who had ice in his veins to secure a Starkville (14-3) victory.
“We work on free throws a lot in practice, and I work on them outside of practice,” Rogers said. “I go to the gym and work. I feel very comfortable knowing I can step up to the line and knock down both of them.”
For West Point (11-4), after how Thursday night started, it was a rough way to end, but knowing the talent level of Starkville, this was a measuring stick for the Green Wave.
They answered the call and went toe to toe with the Jackets, as DJ Willis led the way for West Point with 18 points.
“Even though we didn’t win tonight, I think it gave our guys a lot of confidence,” West Point head coach Marquis Burnett said. “I think it will help boost us for the rest of the season.”
Willis, however, fouled out at a critical juncture for the Green Wave down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
At that point, despite Starkville storming back and taking the lead, West Point kept things close, hitting tough shots and making foul shots to keep the score within one possession.
Unlike what the Jackets had done through the first three quarters of the game, their defense came up clutch. Possessions that were previously ending in West Point baskets became West Point turnovers.
“We settled down a lot then and started getting stops,” Howard said. “Early on, I told them coming out that this was a home game, they’ve got a crowd, and they’re going to be ready to go … That’s what they did. I don’t think we were ready for it mentally.
“In the second half, we got the stops that we talked about.”
Starkville takes on Biloxi in its next game at 3 p.m. Saturday, while West Point travels to play Okolona at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Starkville girls 58, West Point 45
Thursday night was a doubleheader sweep for Starkville, and it started out with the girls game, which saw the Yellow Jackets lead by as much as 30 points in the second half.
However, they took their foot off the gas pedal, and in doing so, that 30-point lead shrunk down to under 15 points with time winding down in the fourth quarter.
It became a race with the clock, one that West Point was unable to conquer as Starkville won, 58-45.
“Typically, it’s the third quarter where we have a mental blip,” Starkville girls basketball coach Kristie Williams said. “Tonight, it was in the fourth quarter. In this stretch of the season, you can’t allow yourself to take any breaks … This is our second time playing West Point. We knew it was going to be a battle.
“What I’m still concerned about is our mental lulls throughout the game. We have to find them and clean them up.”
It was a balanced scoring output for the Yellow Jackets (11-2), with three players finishing in double figures in scoring. Zariyah Edwards led Starkville with 16 points, while Jamaica Young and Je’Niecia Hill each had 13 points.
The story of the night was that fourth-quarter outburst from the Green Wave, led by Rhianna Dinkins, who scored all 10 of her points in the quarter.
She was one of three West Point players to finish in double figures, with Terica Smith leading the team with 12 points. Despite the loss, the Green Wave saw a lot of positives moving forward.
“Perseverance, just being able to continue to fight,” West Point head coach Montez “Tez” Calvert said. “Even though things weren’t going our way early, once we figured things out, they got going. They could have easily quit, so I’m more than proud of them.”
Starkville takes on Choctaw County in its next game at noon Saturday, while West Point travels to play Okolona at 6 p.m. Saturday.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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