By Staff
A LITTLE CROWDED Lake's Kimyatta Viverette breaks through Meridian defenders Megan Mendiola, left, Stephanie Mosley and Kicarra Williams. Photo by Paula Merrit / The Meridian Star
By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Jan. 3, 2002
FOREST Much like a year ago when Lake won the girls' Class 1A state championship, a challenge is one thing the Lady Hornets won't back down from.
Playing Meridian, the 2001 Class 5A state runner-up, was another challenge thrown at the Lady Hornets. And again, the Lady Hornets stepped up strong.
Lake improved to 10-2 with a 61-52 win over Meridian in the opening round of the Central Mississippi Classic Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Hornets jumped out to an 18-10 first quarter lead only to have Meridian come storming back to take a 31-24 lead into halftime.
Meridian, 12-6, trailed 22-16 in the second quarter before Stephanie Mosley scored 10 points in an 11-0 run that saw the Lady Wildcats go up 27-22 with 1:23 remaining in the first half.
Meridian got a pair of 3-pointers from Mosley to take its biggest lead of the day at 42-30 midway through the third quarter. Mosley buried the first three from the left wing and Lake was called for a foul underneath the basket on the shot. The Lady Wildcats inbounded the ball to Mosley, who promptly canned another trey.
Lake, which appeared to tire late in the second quarter, responded with a 15-0 run that saw four different players score. Back-to-back layups by Kimyatta Viverette and Valerie Harris put the Lady Hornets up 45-42 with 1:47 left in the third quarter.
Meridian got back to within one at 45-44 on a basket from Valencia Hairston with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Meridian got a basket from Megan Mendiola with 7:02 left in the game to take its last lead at 46-45. The Lady Wildcats were held scoreless until the 2:27 mark when Kierra Williams connected.
By then, Lake had reeled off 13 unanswered points for a 58-46 advantage. Kim Cox hit two 3-pointers for the Lady Hornets during the run, while Shariece Towner added another.
Lake got 15 points apiece from Viverette and Cox and 14 from Roxana Rogers.
Mosley led Meridian with 24 points. She hit four 3-pointers. Hairston tossed in nine points.
Meridian takes on Newton, 11-3, at 7 p.m. tonight in the losers' bracket with Lake facing Choctaw Central, 15-1, Friday at 4 p.m. in the winners' bracket.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551, ext. 3235.