Faced with a 10-point halftime deficit, the Columbus High School boys basketball team was clearly motivated to get back into Friday night’s home district game against New Hope.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Trojans weren’t about to let that happen.
After Columbus scored the first five points of the third quarter to cut the lead in half, New Hope buried its crosstown rival for good.
Matthew Stennis and Wilton Bush keyed an offensive explosion for the Trojans (10-6), who held off the Falcons (9-7) by a 63-52 score in the MHSAA Class 5A, Region 1 contest.
New Hope coach Drew McBrayer pointed to New Hope’s 22-point third quarter as a pivotal point in the Trojans’ district opener.
“We kind of kept that lead stretched out and stretched out and stretched out,” he said. “If you let it get a little bit closer, it gives them a lot more momentum there at the end. I thought us answering their baskets was a big thing tonight.”
Bush scored 10 of his 14 points in the period, and Stennis had seven of his 17 in the third.
Forward Lonnie Shinn Jr. matched Bush with 14, and guard TJ Warren added eight for New Hope.
“I thought Lonnie did a great job tonight of setting the tone for us in the first half, and our guards made some shots,” McBrayer said.
For Columbus, which fell behind early 7-0 and never led in the game, Jakele Phillips and Marreon “BB” Smith had 10 points apiece. Jeremiah Aaron had nine, and Jace O’Neal and Jayden Tatum had eight apiece.
Falcons coach Phillip Morris said Friday night’s game came down to “the little things” — the loose balls, offensive rebounds and second-chance points that New Hope produced but Columbus could not.
“I think this came down to just who wanted it more,” Morris admitted.
Both teams wanted it plenty in the twice annual crosstown matchup, in which New Hope has won a remarkable nine straight games.
Tatum, a junior wing for the Falcons, admitted the Trojans had more motivation.
“They wanted it more,” he said. “They came to fight. Next time, that’s what we have to do.”
The two teams will meet again Jan. 20 in New Hope after two more weeks of play in a difficult Region 1-5A. Columbus is off to an 0-2 start in district play after Tuesday’s loss at Saltillo, and a tough West Point team that hung with Starkville on Thursday is also in the mix.
New Hope, meanwhile, is figuring things out, having won five straight games since a loss to the Yellow Jackets on Dec. 17.
Shinn admitted the Trojans “started off shaky,” but just like in Friday’s game, they finished well.
And once again, New Hope showed who runs Lowndes County.
“It’s like the best feeling,” Shinn said. “You really see who owns it.”
New Hope girls 38, Columbus 30
After going into halftime tied 17-17 with Columbus, New Hope coach Nick Christy stressed to his players he didn’t “need a hero” to emerge in the second half.
“Sometimes we feel like we have to make a hero play where we go and drive on three people and have to do some kind of crazy shot,” Christy said. “We don’t need that.”
The Trojans avoided what Christy feared. But they still had a hero.
Senior guard Lailah Henderson scored seven straight points to break the deadlock, locking down Columbus guard Christina Fulton on the other end of the court.
Henderson’s efforts helped New Hope (6-9, 1-0 Region 1-5A) take down the defending MHSAA Class 5A finalist Falcons (2-11, 1-1 Region 1-5A) by a 38-30 score Friday night.
“I feel like Lailah played good for us on both ends of the floor tonight, so that definitely did help,” Christy said.
New Hope saw its seven-point lead at the end of the third quarter slip to three with 4:32 to play, but the Trojans remained confident. They’d seen Columbus’ defensive scheme and knew it allowed for the opportunity to pick up offensive rebounds.
“If we miss it,” the Trojans reasoned, “we can get it.”
It worked to perfection as New Hope picked up the offensive board after a pair of missed free throws, cashing in for a layup by Amiya Hill. Had Columbus grabbed the rebound instead, the Falcons would have had a chance to tie the game.
Instead, Madyson McBrayer put back another offensive board two plays later, then scored again to make it a nine-point game and put Columbus away.
“It definitely felt good to come out and execute a little bit tonight,” Christy said. “The girls made some plays when it counted.”
Columbus was significantly hampered by an ugly first quarter that featured traveling calls on each of its first three possessions. MaKhya Weatherspoon’s jumper from near the sideline at the buzzer marked the Falcons’ first points of the game.
Columbus erupted for 15 points in the second quarter to force a halftime tie but managed just two points in the third, falling behind for good.
“We just didn’t play well,” Falcons coach Yvonne Hairston said.
That was almost to be expected in a tough season for Columbus, which graduated six players — all of whom are now playing college basketball.
Couple that with two players missing Friday’s game, and the Falcons’ inexperience was on display.
“When you go down like that, you’re going to go into a rebuilding year,” Hairston said. “I think we played well considering what we’re working with right now. We’ve just got to jell together a little bit more.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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