Photo by Willie Ann Shelton
DaQuan Smith of Holly High soars to the goal as a Conquistador provides some opposition.
Photos by Willie Ann Shelton
Camee Faulkner tries to get her shot off versus Olive Branch.
Samantha Johnson (2) of Holly High and a Lady Conquistador go for the basketball.
Juwoyn Lyles (back) and Ladarius Stinson (right) apply some defensive pressure to a Conquistador.
Hawks lose close one to 6A Olive Branch
Class 6A Olive Branch from DeSoto County took care of business against Class 3A Holly Springs Thursday night, getting one easy win and another close one.
The visiting Lady Conquistadors, one of the pre-season picks to win a Class 6A state title, routed the Lady Hawks 75-34.
The Lady Conquistadors proved quickly they had come to play. Within the first four minutes, the Olive Branch girls held the Lady Hawks scoreless as they built an early lead 19-0. Then Shretta Jeffries sank a bucket and Camee Faulkner made a freebie for the Lady Hawks. At the buzzer, the Lady Conquistadors held the first-quarter lead, 29-3.
The Lady Hawks’ scoring improved in the second frame. They added 15 more points – with nine of those scored by Jeffries. But the Lady Conquistadors showed no signs of letting up. They fired in 18 more points to move ahead 47-18 at the half.
The Lady Hawks’ defense kicked it up a notch. They became very aggressive, which caused the Lady Conquistadors’ scoring to hit a flat spot. Both offenses added 10 more points. However, Olive Branch remained in total control at the end of the third frame, 57-28.
The Lady Conquistadors closed the fourth with a 41-point victory over the Holly High girls.
Jeffries was the top gun for the Lady Hawks with 20 points. Faulkner had 10.
For Olive Branch, Endya Buford scored 18. Sarena Shipp had 17 and Nadia Gillespies 10.
’Quistadors avenge loss
Back on November 5, the Holly Springs Hawks had defeated Olive Branch 77-67 in the Conquistadors’ annual classic tournament.
Ranked among the state’s best in the pre-season, the Class 6A Conquistadors’ reputation was at stake when they invaded the Hawks’ territory last Thursday.
The Hawks were trailing Olive Branch by 11 points in both the second and third quarters. They began to claw back to narrow the margin to two, 56-54 with 2:25 left in the fourth. The Olive Branch boys barely escaped Holly Springs to celebrate a 62-60 victory.
The Hawks were down by one, 6-5, until the game was tied at 7 with 2:38 left in the first. Anthony Johnson sank a deuce to end the tie and take the lead, 9-7, for the Hawks. But D.J. Jeffries’ bucket for Olive Branch had knotted the game again at 9. Kendrick Fountain’s two broke the tie and took back the advantage, 11-9. Jeffries came back and reeled in a deuce to tie the game one last time at 11. A bucket by Calvin Temple helped the Conquistadors close the first quarter with a 13-11 lead.
In the second frame, the visitors had rattled in some more shots. They outscored the Hawks 21-12. Jeffries poured in 14 points for Olive Branch. The Hawks’ DaQuan Smith fired in seven points. At the break, the Conquistadors were up 34-23.
Olive Branch’s momentum slowed down in the third. The visitors had committed some turnovers caused by the Hawks’ extreme pressure. Both squads added 12 more points. The third quarter ended with the Conquistadors still leading 46-35.
Down the stretch, the Hawks were closing in on Olive Branch. They outscored the Conquistadors 25-16 in the fourth, but the Olive Branch boys had avenged the early November setback.
Smith paced the way for Holly High with 22 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and four blocks. Fountain finished with 14 points, five rebounds and one steal. Juwoyn Lyles pulled down seven rebounds and had two blocks.
Jeffries scored 28 points for Olive Branch. Joe Cooper had 13 and Temple 12.