With the region 5-1A tournament less than a week away, The French Camp Lady Panthers appear to be peaking.
“I think we’re getting it together at the right time,” coach Pricilla Anderson said after victories over Coffeeville 65-55 and Starkville Christian 54-47.
French Camp will host the Region 5-1A basketball tournament next week, with semifinal games Tuesday and championship and consolation games Friday.
Teams in the region are French Camp, McAdams, Ethel and Coffeeville. Since there are only four teams, all will advance to the 1A playoffs beginning Feb. 18.
The Panthers started slowly against Coffeeville. “We had a horrible first half,” Anderson said. “We came out mentally not prepared to play and physically not prepared to play. But in the second half we got it together. The shots started falling.”
Madison Klein led the Lady Panthers with 28 points. Jasmine Bonty had 21 points and 10 rebounds. The same two girls sparked their team against Starkville Christian, Klein with 25 points and six rebounds and Bonty with 14 and 13.
Klein was at her best in the second half against Starkville Christian with 21 points after intermission. When Starkville Christian rallied from a 28-11 third quarter deficit to draw within 43-42 in the final period, Klein responded by scoring six straight points.
“Madison is our only senior and she is kind of carrying the team,” Anderson said. “She had provided some good leadership to my 9th and 10th grade girls.”
BOYS
The Panthers rebounded from an 80-35 loss to Coffeeville with a 48-38 victory over Starkville Christian behind a strong defensive effort in the first half and the play of Calvin Johnson.
French Camp led 17-5 at the half and was up by 19 in the third quarter 29-10. Starkville Christian cut the deficit to 42-36 in the final two minutes, but French Camp was able to hold on for the win.
“We got sloppy and missed free throws. That allowed Starkville Christian to get back in the game,” said coach Robert Leathers.”
Johnson had 24 points on eight free throws and eight layups. “He was able to get out in front of people and beat them to the rim,” Leathers said. “He finishes really well.”
Cameron Smith added 11 points for the Panthers. Isaac Buckner led Starkville Christian with 13 points.
Both teams played McAdams Tuesday and will conclude the regular season at Kosciusko Thursday,
Grace Christian closes out full hoops season
By Laurence Hilliard
Choctaw Plaindealer
Grace Christian concluded its first full season of girls basketball with a 39-26 loss to Starkville Christian to finish with a 4-12 record.
“This is the very first year to have a girls basketball team. They tried to get started last year but only played four games,” said coach Talor Troyer.
Against Starkville Christian, the Lady Eagles rallied from a 16-8 halftime deficit to pull within one point in the third quarter before Starkville Christian pulled away. Caroline Robbins and Tamia Brewer had nine points each for Grace Christian.
Troyer noted the team’s improvement during the season. “We’ve come a long way. We went from a team that didn’t know the rules of the game and how to play to being competitive. We still were getting beat, but we weren’t getting beat by as much.”
She pointed out that Starkville Christian won an earlier matchup by 23 points.
Brewer was the leading scorer for the season while Robbins and Carley Paterson also played significant roles.
Looking ahead, Troyer is optimistic. “Because of how much progress we made, we are going to be better next year. They have really worked hard. They’re learning and they are getting better.”
Brewer is a senior, but key underclassmen include Robbins, a junior, Peterson, a freshman, sophomore Belle Hudson and junior Lia Morris.
BOYS
The Eagles pulled away in the third quarter behind the scoring of Alex Taylor for a season ending 54-45 victory over Starkville Christian.
Grace Christian led 23-19 at the half, then outscored Starkville Christian 18-9 during the third period. Taylor scored 12 of his fame high 24 points during the quarter. Asher Hogue and Zach Broyles had 10 point each for the Eagles.
Games with Amory Christian were cancelled due to a winter storm and will not be rescheduled.
