By By Jeff Byrd/The Meridian Star
Dec. 29, 2001
BAY SPRINGS With Heidelberg Coach Ted Williams battling pneumonia, the Oilers basketball team reverted to a free-style form of play. The result was a narrow win over Laurel and a tough, buzzer-beating loss to Taylorsville on Thursday night here at the Bay Springs Holiday Tournament.
On Friday afternoon, it was back to the basics for the Oilers. Williams was back on the bench and the result was bad news for the Newton High Tigers.
Displaying a more discipline brand of basketball, the Oilers put the wrench to the Tigers with a smashing 87-48 victory. Heidelberg moves to 13-3 on the season and will face arch-rival Bay Springs in Saturday's final match-up of the three-day, four-team round robin at 8 p.m.
The Heidelberg Lady Oilers also picked another win to go 2-0 in the tournament by beating the Newton Lady Tigers 83-74.
Heidelberg Boys 87
Newton 48
Heidelberg jumped out to an 11-0 lead and held Newton scoreless for the first six-plus minutes of the game.
Fred Stephens and Derrick Turner paced the Oilers to a 17-3 lead. Marvin McDonald then made it 20-3 when the drilled a three-pointer at the first quarter horn.
In the second quarter, all five Oiler starters scored at least four points. Two free throws by McDonald made it 32-7. It was 42-9 at the half.
Newton, who made it to the Class 2A State Tournament last year, played better in the third quarter. The game turned into a B-team affair in the fourth quarter.
The five Heidelberg starters all scored at least seven points before taking the fourth quarter off. Cedric Pierce led the way with 14. Stephen had 12 followed by Turner with 10, McDonald with nine and Billy Wright had seven.
B-teamers David Smith and Allen Gavin keyed a 25-point fourth quarter for the Oilers with eight points each.
Newton was led by Cornelius Carrawy and Bobby Lindsey with eight points apiece.
Heidelberg Girls 83
Newton Girls 74
All five Heidelberg Lady Oiler starters ended in double digits to hand Newton their second loss of the season.
Heidelberg has now won four straight since falling to Meridian and Noxubee County in the Frazier-Yarbrough Tournament back on Dec. 15-17.
Morton was disappointed in his team's effort.
The Lady Oilers broke loose from a 13-13 tie after one quarter with a 14-5 run to open the second. Princess Bender, Jessica Yates and Shawana Stevens all scored seven points in the quarter to give Heidelberg a 40-31 halftime lead.
Newton closed to within two at 42-40 in the third quarter off a steal and layup by Creoshia Williams. It was 44-41 when Heidelberg used a 6-2 spurt to go up 50-43.
Newton then lost Katreece Bender to fouls with 21 seconds left in the quarter. Two free throws by April Baker made it 55-47 at the end of three quarters.
Latoya Walker had a good quarter for Heidelberg scoring eight of her 12 points including a 4-for-4 effort from the line. The lead would reach 73-57 with 2:58 left.
It was a 12-point game until Newton's Tonya Jordan hit a three at the horn to account for the final.
Catina Fowler led Heidelberg with 18 points. Princess Bender followed 17 while Yates had 13, Walker 12 and Stevens had 11.
Jordan led Newton with 20.
, Lenore Gray had 15 and Creoshia Williams added 10.
Jeff Byrd is a sports writer for the Meridian Star. He can be reached at 693-1551 or by e-mail at jbyrd@themeridianstar.com.