STARKVILLE – Starkville High School girls’ basketball coach Kristie Williams challenged her undefeated squad to build a lead early Friday night.
Playing at home and with an undefeated record on the line, Williams did not want any added pressure to cross the finish line in the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A playoffs.
Starkville did just that – building an early and cruising to an impressive victory.
Starkville (29-0) clinched its third straight trip to Jackson with a 55-31 victory over Columbus before a capacity crowd at the Bee Hive.
Starkville will need three wins in Jackson to win a state championship. That quest begins with a third-round game against Harrison Central (22-3) at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mississippi Coliseum.
“Our defensive effort was really good,” Williams said. “That is what we have been talking about a lot lately. We wanted to get off to a good start. Playing at home with a good crowd, we wanted that to turn into some early confidence.”
Starkville showed its desire to pound the ball inside early. Dandy Dozen senior Kelsey Jones scored six points, grabbed three rebounds and blocked two shots in the first four minutes of play. She also picked up two fouls.
With Jones sidelined for the entire second quarter, Columbus (22-6) knew it had an opportunity. Junior Tabreea Gandy denied the Lady Falcons any chance to take advantage of that opportunity.
“I just knew someone had to step up,” Gandy said. “That has been the story of this team all year. Someone is going to make the plays. When Kelsey goes out like that, we don’t lose our confidence. It just means someone else is going to have to be the leader and get things done.”
Gandy scored 10 second-quarter points as Starkville turned a one-point deficit into a 29-19 halftime lead.
“(Gandy) was the total difference in the ballgame,” Columbus coach Yvonne Hairston said. “We thought going into the game that she might be the difference. We knew we had to stop her to win. She was able to drive to the goal, make the pass, step back and make the shot. She was dominant for a stretch there. We didn’t have any answers.”
Columbus’ leading scorer Zaria Jenkins was also dealing with early foul trouble. However, with the season hanging in the balance, Hairston had no other choice but to play Jenkins and hope for a rally.
Instead, Starkville turned up the defensive pressure and denied Columbus second-chance scoring opportunities – a staple of a 13-game winning streak for the Lady Falcons earlier in the season.
“Picking up our defensive intensity is something we have talked about all season,” Williams said. “That is something the girls have gotten better and better at it. Our players are wanting to guard the ball. They know help side is coming if they get in a jam. The trust is there. That is the biggest thing in playing good defense. You have to have that trust.
“With Kelsey went to the bench, (junior) Kirsten Thompson came in and gave us a huge lift. She is not a strong scorer. We aren’t asking her to go get buckets. We just want her to play good defense. That is what she brought when we really needed it.”
Jones returned to the second half and on the first possession tried to score a putback, drew a foul and hit two free throws. Gandy and Jalisa Outlaw followed with back-to-back baskets and with a 16-point lead, Starkville was well on its way.
“When you play an undefeated team at this point in time in the season, you are playing a great basketball team,” Hairston said. “If you get to this point without a loss, you are a team that can win that championship. I am not sad because we gave it all we had. We played hard. We put all of the manpower out there that we had. It just wasn’t meant to be.
“They got the confidence going on their end and they showed why they are undefeated.”
Despite going seven minutes without a field goal, Columbus did pull back within 12 before Starkville reeled off a 10-0 run for the knockout blow.
“We knew we had to play hard for four quarters,” Gandy said. “Columbus was going to play hard until the end, because their season was on the line. We knew we had to match that intensity and not let up. Coach has been talking about playing with intensity for four quarters. We were able to do that.”
Zaria Jenkins led Columbus with 10 points in her final game with the Lady Falcons. Sophomore Hannah White is the lone returning starter for Columbus.
“We will take a week off and the get back in there and try to figure out a way to try build this thing back up,” Hairston said. “I am really proud of the seniors. There were no superstars in the group but they came together nicely. They worked hard and played well together as a unit. We had a lot of success.”
Gandy had 20 points and Jones had 15 points for Starkville. Jariyah Covington had 10 points. The Lady Jackets will also be counting on experience as tournament play shifts to Jackson. Starkville has lost in the semifinal round of the each of the last two state tournaments.
“Hopefully, the third time is the charm,” Williams said.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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