There were learning experiences that came about for the Louisville boys and girls teams this week on the basketball court as each won two ball games and lost one in tough fashion.
Overall, it was a successful week but one that showed both coaches that they have more work to do with their teams as Class 4A, Region 4 play continues to build and they fight for district championships.
For the boys squad, they were coming off a good start of district play after beating Northeast Lauderdale the week before and they were back in Lauderdale county on Tuesday to play West Lauderdale. The home team kept it close in the first half as they trailed 32-25, but Louisville pulled away in the third and fourth quarters to win 75-52.
“We saw some good things. They played us tough in the first half but we pulled away in the end,” head coach Kylan Tippett said. “We came back in the second half and played a lot harder. If we can match that intensity from the second half, nobody should be able to stay in the game with us.”
The balance by the Wildcat scorers made them tough to defend on Tuesday as Nysiebelon Kirk had 14 points, Clayton Maury had 11 points and Vesedddrick Culberson and Jykevious Hibbler had 10 points each.
It looked like things were headed towards a 3-0 start in district play as the Wildcats scored 48 points in the second and third quarters total to jump out on Leake Central, but a blown lead late allowed the Gators to get the game to overtime. They ultimately knocked off the Wildcats 82-79.
The Wildcats were leading by seven points in the last two minutes of the ball game but couldn’t hold that lead as the Gators would force overtime. It was there that Leake Central was able to pull ahead and win the ball game in extra minutes.
“It’s very frustrating because that’s one of those teams you’ve got to split with and we had them where we wanted and couldn’t finish it off,” Tippett said. “It was a rivalry game and they played up.”
Culberson pulled his weight in the loss with a monster game of 29 points, Drea Shumaker had 18 points and Tyrell Thames had 15 but the defense didn’t get the stops they needed.
A bounce back game was on the horizon the very next night on Saturday at the annual Mid-Mississippi Challenge in Ackerman against Choctaw County. The Wildcats led big for most of the game and held off a late rally by the home team 73-65. The win moved LHS to 9-4 overall and they’re looking to keep up the momentum with two home games this week against Choctaw Central on Tuesday and Northeast Lauderdale on Friday night.
GIRLS
Fred Morris’ girls went through the same deal last week as the Lady Wildcats went 2-1 as well but they took home two Region 4 wins on the road after a disappointing loss last week.
LHS sat on the frustration that was the Northeast Lauderdale loss for a week before heading to West Lauderdale and they rolled their road opponent 87-30. Areyanna Hunter continued her huge season by posting 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting and managed a double-double with 10 steals. Jalen Ingram scored 13 points and Kiersten Ball finished with 12 points.
After that big win, the Lady Wildcats went on the road to Leake Central and improved the district record to 2-1 with a decisive 59-37 win. Hunter again led the way with 27 points.
“I thought we played well both games,” Morris said. “Defensively we tried to extend and get out to run the floor. On offense, we’ve still got a ways to go, but I’m excited about how we played defensively.”
Saturday’s showdown at the Mid-Mississippi Challenge against a very good New Site team ended in heartbreaking fashion as the Lady Wildcats fell 62-60. It was one of the most exciting games of the event but New Site shot a blistering 74 percent from the field and hit 19 of 31 free throws to overcome the LHS athleticism.
The Lady Wildcats had 25 points from Hunter and 10 points from Kameron Rogers in defeat.
It’s a game that Morris believes could help his team moving forward and all around it was a productive week that saw the Lady Wildcats take a step forward.
“I think it showed us that every possession counts and details matter. We came in with a game plan and, for the most part, ran it but down the stretch we didn’t’ execute and that’s what cost us the game. You’ve got to be locked in on what you’re trying to do. I think we got exposed on both ends of the floor. Hopefully we’ll take from that and move forward.”
The 12-5 Lady Wildcats have a huge week ahead as they welcome the mighty Choctaw Central Lady Warriors for the initial district battle between the two teams. Choctaw Central has won many state championships in Class 3A but made the move up to 4A this season. LHS will also play Northeast Lauderdale on Friday.
