Photo by Willie Ann Shelton
Kendrick Fountain (20) is defended closely by a Wildcat as he goes up underneath the hoop.
Photos by Willie Ann Shelton
Kaila King (24) of Holly Springs stops a Lady Wildcat as she tries to drive to the goal.
Holly High’s Kayla Criss (31) and an Independence player reach for a loose basketball during a game last week.
Hawks unbeaten in district
Things didn’t quite turn out the way coach Andre Jones and his Lady Hawks had hoped in Tuesday’s game against Independence.
They were looking for the upset of the Lady Wildcats but they dropped a 74-46 decision to the visitors.
The Holly Springs girls held a one-point lead, 7-6, in the early stages. But, the Lady Wildcats jumped out from behind and closed the first frame, leading 20-9. Taneria Bradley’s two three-pointers and a two-point basket helped put Independence up by 11.
The Lady Wildcats then outscored Holly High 17-8 in the second quarter for a 37-17 halftime lead.
In the third, the Lady Wildcats succeeded by holding the Lady Hawks without a field goal until midway through this quarter. Camee Faulkner then scored 10 points for Holly High, but wasn’t nearly enough to trim the margin the Lady Wildcats had built. At the end of the third, Independence had dealt the Lady Hawks a 30-point deficit, 59-29.
The Lady Hawks showed some fight in the fourth. They outscored Independence 17-15. But the Lady Wildcats sealed the deal and won by 28 in the District 2-3A game.
But the Lady Wildcats sealed the deal and won by 28 in the District 2-3A game.
Faulkner scored 29 points for Holly High.
Bradley had 13 for Independence. Tyisha Wilbourn scored 12, Abby Miller 11 and Darquazha McClatchey 10.
Hawks down Wildcats
Coach Sylvester Kilgore’s Holly High Hawks survived a close contest against Independence.
Some late scoring in the fourth had Independence trailing Holly High boys by one – causing tension to rise throughout the crowd in this district game. However, the Hawks went on to claim a 62-56 victory over the Wildcats.
Holly Springs built a 7-3 lead with 2:31 remaining in the first quarter. Turnovers were plentiful from both squads, but neither team could produce any points off them. Ladarius Stinson’s lay-up put the Hawks on top, 11-5, as the opening period ended.
The Wildcats outscored the Hawks 16-14 in the second stanza. But at the break, the Hawks still commanded the lead 25-21.
In the third, at the 4:43 mark, Zykeris Mosley’s two free-throw shots had the Wildcats down by one, 27-26. Holly High’s Juwoyn Lyles responded with a basket to make it 29-26. Later, DaQuan Smith went to the free-throw line and made both attempts to extend the lead for Holly High, 33-26.
The Wildcats tried to close the gap. Tae McClatchey’s long-range shot had the visitors trailing by three, 35-32. But Lyles hit back-to-back buckets to put the Hawks up 41-36 as the third ended.
The Wildcats didn’t let up in the fourth. They trimmed the margin to one, 57-56, with 1:10 left. But the Hawks were able to exit the gym with a six-point win and remain unbeaten versus district foes.
Smith scored 20 points for Holly High. Lyles had 13 and Kendrick Fountain 11.
Jaren King scored 18 points for Independence. McClatchey had 13 and Takoda Saulsberry 10.
Holly High-Palmer
The Lady Hawks bounced back strongly Friday night – taking a 60-39 win over district foe M.S. Palmer on the road.
Faulkner was once again the star of the scoring show for Holly High. She poured in 37 points. Shretta Jeffries was also in double digits with 13.
The Lady Hawks built a commanding 32-17 halftime lead and then outscored the Lady Dragons 18-8 in the third quarter to put the win on ice.
The Holly High boys erupted for 31 points in the first quarter on their way to a 91-77 win over Palmer to stay unbeaten in district play.
“Our strong defensive effort led to high percentage field goals,” Kilgore said.
Fountain, who finished with 22 points, scored 12 of those in the opening quarter. Other double-digit scorers for the game were Smith with 20, Lyles with 14, Ladarius Stinson with 11 and Corey Bell with 10.
“Our rotation players provided much-needed support on both ends of the court,” he said.
Lyles also had seven rebounds and three blocks, while Anthony Johnson dished out seven assists.
“We would like to thank the special group of fans who made the one-and-a-half-hour drive to Marks in support of the Hawks.”
The Lady Hawks (15-9 overall and 8-0 in the district) and the Lady Hawks (9-12 and 4-4) played host to Water Valley on Tuesday. They end the regular season by visiting Charleston Friday night.
Next week the District 2-3A Tournament will be played at North Panola.
Schedule
The Lady Hawks and Hawks hosted Water Valley this past Tuesday. They go to Charleston Friday night to finish the regular season.
Next week North Panola will host the District 2-3A Tournament.