The Choctaw County boys and girls basketball teams warmed up for the Region5-3A tournament with victories against Eupora on Senior Night in the regular season finale.
Raquela Graham hit a three-point basket in the final minute to give the Lady Chargers a 36-35 victory. Graham finished with 11 points and Amelia Pratt had 10.
Choctaw County was playing shorthanded, absent two starters due to injuries. Point guard Tyliah Alston had ACL surgery in January. La’Genesis Johnson, the Lady Chargers’ leading scorer and rebounder, has an ankle injury.
Neither was in the lineup Tuesday when Choctaw County began tournament play against Hatley. The winner of that game plays top seed Nettleton in the semifinals Friday.
Southeast Lauderdale is hosting the tournament.
BOYS
The Chargers jumped out to a 22-15 lead against Eupora after one quarter and were never seriously challenged in rolling to a 67-55 victory. That matched the team’s previous high point total for the season in a 67-45 victory over Hatley.
Zavier Coleman was deadly from behind the three-point line for Choctaw County, hitting on 7 of 11, to finish with 21 points. “He was shooting the ball really well,” said coach Gary Beals.
Kendall Coleman added 14 points, five assists and three steals for the Chargers.
“I played 10 players the whole game, rotating them. There is not much difference between any of them,” Beals said.
Choctaw County opened region play against Hatley Tuesday. The winner plays Nettleton Friday in the semifinals.
Championship and consolation games for boys and girls will be played Saturday. Teams that reach the semifinals will advance to the 3A state tournament beginning Feb. 18 for the girls and Feb.19 for the boys,
GC Eagles close out season with 12-4 record
By Laurence Hilliard
Choctaw Plaindealer
The Grace Christian boys basketball team completed another successful season with a 12-4 record.
“We had a good season,” said coach Bobby Bowman. “They played hard and never quit. It was a bunch that it was a joy to coach. I knew they were going to put forth the effort the whole game and play hard.
“Of the four we lost, two were just better than us and the other two were close.”
The only drawback was that cancellation resulted in only 16 games. “We had five games that we lost due to the weather or this, that and the other. We usually play 20, 21 or 22,” Bowman said.
Senior Alex Taylor was the Eagles’ leading scorer averaging 20.2. Senior Zach Boyles was also in double figures, at 11.2.
The other three starters were senior Jacob Hogue, his brother Asher Hogue, a sophomore, and junior Micah Ballard. Two freshmen, Bonner Brownlee and Jacob Phillips, saw significant playing time off the bench.
“If I had to pick a best defensive player, it was probably Zach Boyles. I didn’t keep up with rebounding, but he was probably our leading rebounder,” Bowman said.
Ballard and Asher Hogue led in three-point shots with 18 each and Ballard was the team’s leading free throw shooter at 66.7 percent.
The Lady Eagles finished 4-12 in the first full season with a girls team.
