Hawks win again in enemy territory

It was gut check time for the Holly Springs Hawks in the closing minutes Saturday night at Winona.

And they passed the test, escaping enemy territory with a 65-60 Class 3A quarter-final win over the Tigers. It was Holly High’s second straight win over higher-seeded teams on the road.

The Hawks will face Southeast Lauderdale on Wednesday of this week at 1:30 p.m. At Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.

They led by as many as 23 points in the first half at Winona and then hung on down the stretch.

“We got off to a great start in the game, and that helped us manage the adversity we faced in the second half,” said coach Andre Jones.

“This is a battle-tested group. We faced a lot of adversity in the first part of the season, but we just licked our wounds and stayed the course. Now, we’re reaping the benefits of all that hard work we’ve put in.”

Marquavous Jones carried the load early. He scored 11 in the first quarter as the Hawks soared to a 21-9 advantage.

They were on top 35-18 at halftime.

Ded’Drick Faulkner scored on the first possession of the second half to push the lead to 19.

Then the Tigers, on their home floor and in front of a jampacked gym, started scratching back. They pulled to within 10 before Faulkner closed the quarter with a successful drive to the hoop.

Holly Springs went up by 14 with 4:50 left in the game on a bucket by Cordarrius Isom.

Two minutes later the momentum was flowing in the Tigers’ favor. They had sliced their deficit to 57-52. They got to within three twice ­ 58-55 and 60-57.

Jabez Jones got a big putback late to push the lead back to five.

Winona drilled a three with 26 seconds left, cutting Holly High’s lead to two.

J. Jones and Faulkner hit some clutch free throws in the final 10 seconds to wrap up a five-point win.

“The main thing in the second half, I thought we kept our poise and stayed focused,” Coach Jones said. “It was a very, very hectic environment. At one point, we couldn’t even hear the whistle blow; it was so loud.”

Leading the offensive attack for the Hawks were M. Jones with 17, Faulkner with 15 and Jaylen Sims with 10.

Coach Jones has made the trip to The Big House as a player and an assistant coach, and now he’s making it the first time as a head coach. His assistant, Kylon Freeman, is also a former Holly High player who played in Jackson.

“It’s definitely a great feeling,” Jones said. “We’ve made this trip a lot of times. We’ve both been around the program a long time. It’s exciting.

“And I want to say that I wouldn’t be in this position without him (Coach Freeman) being in this battle with me. He’s put in a lot of work also, and it’s a dream come true for both of us.”

With a win over Southeast Lauderdale Wednesday, the Hawks (13-15) will meet the winner of the Booneville-St. Patrick game Saturday at 3 p.m. In the Class 3A state championship game.