By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
June 24, 2001
To reach the gold medal round of the State Games of Mississippi basketball competition for a third straight year, Meridian High School's boys had to get past a couple of very tough opponents Saturday.
Mission accomplished.
Meridian came from behind to knock off ex-division rival Wayne County 52-49 Saturday afternoon, then the Wildcats jumped all over Noxubee County in a 64-49 win that completed MHS' sweep of Pool 1 boys' action.
The Meridian girls also polished off a 4-0 pool mark on their home floor with 56-35 win over Indianola Academy Saturday night, while West Lauderdale's girls and Northeast Lauderdale's boys were the big winners at Meridian Community College.
Here's a brief look at the Saturday results from Meridian High and MCC, as well as scores from Newton County High School and East Central Community College:
Meridian's boys overcame a five-point halftime deficit to beat Wayne County 52-49.
Jamaine Winfield was one of the primary reasons for the comeback, scoring all 11 of his points in the second half. Keno Leflore also had 11 for MHS, while Jason Windom scored 10 and E.J. Watson had eight.
The Wildcats scorched the nets for 37 points in the first half to build a double-digit lead as Meridian beat Noxubee County 64-49.
Fred Cole scored 14 and Windom had 10 for Meridian, while Ricky McMillian scored eight and Leflore seven.
Antwan Cooper l Noxubee with a game-high 24 and Omar Conner scored nine.
Meridian's girls stretched a nine-point halftime lead into a 56-35 win over Indianola Academy.
Valencia Hairston scored 16 points for the Lady Wildcats, while Stephanie Mosley had 10.
Laurel's boys put four players in double figures and coasted to an easy, 68-39 win over Coffeeville.
Jarvis McCray scored 13 and Kendrick Smith had 12 for the Tornadoes, who led 27-19 at halftime.
Quitman's girls, behind 13 points from Latoshia Evans, knocked off Indianola Academy 43-29.
Four players scored in double figures as Noxubee County's boys whipped Coffeeville 76-43.
Conner led the way with 21, while Patrick Thompson had 17 and Cooper and Deon Bryant had 10 apiece.
Quin Jackson scored 17 points and Shaquita Bell added 13 for the Lady Trojans as Northeast Lauderdale's downed Division 5-4A rival Quitman, 43-34.
Jackson had a game-high 17 points and Bell was also in double figures with 10 points as Northeast's girls beat cross-county rival Clarkdale 45-22.
Kemonica McGee scored 12 points to help lead Quitman to a 41-29 win over Indianola Academy.
At MCC, West Lauderdale's girls beat Walnut 49-37 behind 14 points from Jawanda Huggins.
J.J. Huggins added 10 points for the Lady Knights, who led 26-14 at halftime, while Cierra Jennings and Shannon Lloyd had six apiece.
Meridian's B-team boys broke a 29-29 deadlock at the half as they earned a 65-60 win over former division foe Brandon.
Northeast Lauderdale's boys used a red-hot shooting performance in the first half as the Trojans beat cross-county rival West Lauderdale 68-48.
Northeast, up 43-26 at halftime, got 14 points from Dekenno Winston, 13 apiece from Jamaal Martin and Marcus Betts and 11 from Colony White.
Calvin Moore led West with 15 points, while Boo Ramsey and Andre Adams had 10 apiece.
West Lauderdale's girls built a 13-point lead in the first half and had no problems beating Laurel, 56-35.
Patty Monroe led a balanced attack for the Lady Knights with 11 points, while Kristina Gardner had nine and J.J. Huggins eight. Angela Temple scored seven while Lloyd and Jawanda Huggins had six each.
Warren Central's girls started the game on a 12-0 run and held off Southeast Lauderdale 59-53.
JaQuita Benard scored 15 points to lead Warren Central, while Kenitta Cooley topped Southeast Lauderdale with 20. Ebony Moore added 10 and Lesley Ruffin had eight.
West Lauderdale's boys got 23 points from Moore as the Knights beat Meridian's B-team 52-36.
Ramsey added 11 points for West, which led 34-19 at halftime.
Brandon's boys built a 30-11 lead in the first half and downed Walnut 57-22.
At ECCC, Pillow Academy's boys beat Jackson Prep 54-39, Kossuth's girls downed Crystal Springs 42-40, Newton's girls beat Neshoba Central 44-35, Lake's boys topped Scott Central 50-45, Jefferson County's boys outlasted Jackson Academy 53-48 and Kossuth's girls beat Cleveland 43-30.
At Newton County, Scott Central's girls beat Jefferson County 46-33, Newton County's boys topped Jackson Academy 44-31, Raymond's boys slammed Pillow Academy 71-45, Pillow's girls beat Scott Central in a 45-41 squeaker, Lake's girls knocked off Newton County 50-36 and Newton County's boys beat Newton 59-50.
Rocky Higginbotham is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.