Archive
Greyhounds Race Past the Rocks at Hoopsfest
BILOXI–In a game defined by both teams making runs, the Ocean Springs Greyhounds managed to make a few more to knock off the St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws 61-47 at the 18th Hoopsfest at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi Saturday.
After the teams traded early three pointers, St. Stanislaus went on an 11-3 run to take a 14-9 lead through one quarter. Ramone Tate helped lead the way for St. Stansislaus, scoring nine of the team’s early points.
Ocean Springs responded with a strong defensive effort, keeping the Rocks off of the board for nearly seven minutes to take a 24-14 lead. Jay Edwards lead the way for Ocean Springs, scoring seven of his 17 points during the 15-0 run.
“For some reason, our energy level was low,” said Ocean Springs coach Ronnie Bowen. “Once we fell behind, our guys had a sense of urgency, and they took on themselves to pick up the energy level and start playing better.”
The Rock-a-Chaws responded with a 10-4 run to close out the half and trailed the Greyhounds 28-24.
Weston Bordis found the bottom of the basket early and often in the second half as the Greyhounds ran away from the Rocks 17-6 in the third quarter. Bordis scored 13 of his team high 19 points in the second half.
“Weston has been a leader, not only in the huddle and on the floor, but in making sure guys do what they are supposed to do,” said Bowen. He carries us offensively, but he also gets after it pretty hard on defense.”
Tate did most of the second half scoring for St. Stanislaus, pouring in 15 of his game high 26 points after the intermission.
The Greyhounds (6-12) travel to Gautier Tuesday, and the Rock-a-Chaws (6-15) hit the road to face Poplarville.
Quick Game Recaps From Hoopsfest 2012
Game 8: Wayne County 61 Gulfport 47: The Wayne County War Eagles dropped the Gulfport Admirals with a dominate second half in the final game of the 2012 HoopsFest.
For most of the first half, Wayne County kept the Admirals at bay with a constant two possession lead. The War Eagles held a 10-5 lead after the first quarter, and they took a 22-17 lead into the half.
The War Eagles made their move in the third quarter, outscoring Gulfport 25-11 in the third quarter to take a 47-28 lead going into the final quarter of play.
Eddie Lee led the Admirals with 15 points, and Jeremy Hollimon contributed 13. Wayne County’s Avery Woodson led all scorers with 26 points. Raeford Worsham scored 16, and Alex Lacey scored 13 for the War Eagles.
Slam Dunk Champion: Ricky Kelly (St. Martin)
Three Point Shoot Out Champion: Tyler Kennedy (Pass Christian)
Game 7: Callaway 58 Biloxi 56: (Read Game Story Here) The deciding points of the contest game came from an unlikely source. Dontarrius Simmons, who averages less than two points per contest, hit the game winner at the buzzer to push Callaway past the Biloxi Indians.
Malik Newman led the Chargers with 2o points, and Johnathan Quarles, Keith Broome, and Tavonn Tyson all scored 12 to lead the Indians.
Game 6: Pascagoula 64 Harrison Central 51: Tracy Hadley had a career night for the Pascagoula Panthers, scoring a career best 36 points to guide the Panthers to a victory over the Red Rebels.
Pascagoula never trailed in the contest, opening up an eleven point lead by the end of the first quarter, and they took a 35-19 lead into the half.
The Panthers never faced trouble in the second half, taking their largest lead of the game at 55-31 with just over six minutes to play in the third quarter.
Game 5: Pass Christian 60 Picayune 52: In a game where the largest lead was three for most of the night, the Pass Christian Pirates pulled away from the Picayune Maroon Tide in the fourth quarter to walk away with a win.
In the fourth quarter, Pass Christian jumped to a 49-39 lead with just under four minutes to play, but Picayune hung around and cut the lead to two points at 54-52 off of a Ronte Magee three pointer with 1:34 left to play. The Pirates closed the game on a 6-0 run to provide the final margin.
Dimitri Cook led Pass Christian (12-9) with 19 points, and Auston Hawlk chipped in 12 while Kristin Alford added eleven. Magee led all Picayune players with 14 points, and Shemar Williams scored 12.
Game 4: St. Martin 56 Bay High 51 (OT): (Read about the game here) In a game that featured 22 lead changes, the Yellow Jackets took the last one to claim a overtime victory over the Tigers.
It looked like Bay may walk away with a 47-45 victory, but Ed Simpon drain two free throws with under five seconds left in regulation to force overtime. He also scored the first points of overtime to put St. Martin ahead for good.
Bay held a 13-10 lead after one quarter, but St. Martin took a 26-24 led into the half. The teams tied at 37 after three quarters and at 47 at the end of regulation.
Ricky Kelly led all scorers with 21 for St. Martin (18-5), and Nick Fairley and Ed Simpson both added 10. Justus Williams paced the Tigers (15-6) with 18, and Taylor Singleton chipped 13.
Game 3: Gulfport 43 Pass Christian 35 (Girls): The Lady Admirals jumped out to a 12-3 lead after one quarter and never looked back, keeping their lead around double digits the most of game.
With the Admirals missing free throws down the stretch, Pass Christian cut the lead to six at 38-35 with 1:04 to play in, but the Admirals sank enough free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Game 2: Ocean Springs 61 St. Stanislaus 47: (Read Game Story Here) The St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws opened the game on a 14-6 run, but the Ocean Springs Greyhounds defense responded by keeping the Rocks off the board for nearly seven minutes to help them take a 24-14 lead.
The Rocks responded with a 10-4 run of their own to cut the Greyhound lead to 28-24 as the teams went to the half.
The Greyhounds, led by 9 of Weston Bordis’s 19, outscored SSC 17-6 in they third quarter to put the game out reach.
Jay Edwards chipped in 17 for Ocean Springs (6-12), and Ramone Tate led St. Stanislaus (6-15) with 26.
Game 1: Long Beach 63 Vancleave 58: The Long Beach Bearcats trailed the entire first half, but Damian Young hit two three pointers in the first minute of the second half to put Long Beach ahead 35-34 with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs rallied, starting the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead at 48-47 with a little over five minutes to play. The lead did not last long. Austin Vaughn put the Bearcats on his back, scoring ten points in a three minute stretch to push Long Beach ahead 57-52, and the Bearcats held on to claim a 63-58 victory.
Austin Vaughn led the Bearcats (4-14) with 15 points, and Marcus Betts chipped in 13. Jerry McCorvey led Vancleave (1-19) with 21 points.
Printable State Brackets
ALL GAMES AT THE MISSISSIPPI COLISEUM
1A Boys: Myrtle vs. Dexter; Durant vs. Drew
1A Girls: H.W. Byers vs. Bogue Chitto; Ethel vs. Coldwater
2A Boys: Bruce vs. Richton; Piney Woods vs. Calhoun City
2A Girls: New Site vs. Lake; Scott Central vs. J.Z. George
3A Boys: Booneville vs. Forest; Velma Jackson vs. Corinth
3A Girls: Ripley vs. Southeast Lauderdale; Choctaw Central vs. Belmont
4A Boys: Rosa Fort vs. Pass Christian; St. Stanislaus vs. New Albany
4A Girls: New Albany vs. South Jones; Lawrence County vs. Pontotoc
5A Boys: Lanier vs. Forest Hill; Wayne County vs. Provine
5A Girls: Lanier vs. West Jones; McComb vs. Callaway
6A Boys: Vicksburg vs. Pascagoula; Meridian vs. Starkville
6A Girls: Horn Lake vs. Meridian; Jim Hill vs. Northwest Rankin
Indians Takedown Hawks, Advance to South State Semifinals
BILOXI–The Biloxi Indians took to their home floor for the final time in the 2010-2011 campaign, and they defeated the Hancock Hawks in the first round of the 6A basketball championship Tuesday night by a score of 59-43.
The home team jumped to a quick 16-3 lead after the first quarter, and Hancock was never able to fully recover. At the half, the Indians led by a score of 26-19 on the way to a 16 point victory.
Cory Jackson scored 20 points for the Indians, and Curtis Haynes chipped in another 15 points.
The Indians went undefeated at home for a third consecutive season, and they finished this season with an 11-0 record at the Biloxi Sports Arena.
Biloxi will travel to Meridian Friday night for the South State semifinals. They will play the hosting Wildcats at 6 pm. The winner of that match-up will qualify to play in the final rounds of the state championship in Jackson. The winner of the semifinal will also take on the winner of the Wingfield/Pascagoula game for the South State championship on Saturday.
Appeared in the Biloxi-D’Iberville Times on 2/17/2011
Hurricanes Blow Past Tigers; into 5A Semifinals
GULFPORT—The home standing West Harrison Hurricanes rocked the Moss Point Tigers 84-68 in their Tuesday night clash in the first round of the state 5A tournament.
Stacy Dennis led a first quarter charge for the Hurricanes after his team fell behind 5-4 in the early stages of the game. His first bucket gave West Harrison a 6-5 lead, and the Hurricanes would never trail again. Moss Point’s Keylin Watson saw limited first half action after picking up three fouls in less than six minutes of play.
The Hurricanes opened the second quarter with a 15-11 lead, but Kenny Patterson and Stacy scored a combined 17 points to extend the lead to 13. Moss Point’s Joseph Cunningham battled to cut the lead back to ten in the final minute of the half, but a half court buzzer beater by Patterson pushed the lead back to 13 at 46-33 going into halftime.
The Tigers would never bring the lead back under ten for the rest of the game as the Hurricanes high percentage shooting proved too much for Moss Point to overcome. Tigers’ coach Micoe Cotton credited the sharp shooting of the Hurricanes as being the difference in the game. “They shot the ball really well,” said Cotton. “Stacy Dennis really stepped up, and we couldn’t knock down any shots.”
While Cotton said the season ended on a down note, he did see some positives heading into next year.
“Going into next year, we’ve just got to work. I’ll be losing a couple of kids, but I feel optimistic,” said Cotton. “The kids did good, but this season is over.”
West Harrison will travel to Wayne County, and they will take on the hosting War Eagles Friday at 7:30 pm.
West Harrison’s Stacy and Moss Point’s Cunningham led all scorers with 25 points each.
Appeared in Mississippi Press 2/16/2011
Lady Cats Fall to Forrest County AHS, Drop to Consolation
BAY ST. LOUIS—The Greene County Lady Cats looked to be brewing an upset in their Division 8-4A semifinal with Forrest County AHS, but they fell to the Lady Aggies 76-53.
The Lady Aggies took an early lead before the Lady Cats went on a 9-2 run during the first quarter to take an 11-10 lead. The Lady Aggies roared back into the game with a 14-5 run and held a 33-27 lead after two quarters.
Green County coach, Emma Wilkerson, felt her team struggled with the speed of the Lady Aggies. “They were just quick getting down the floor, and my girls had a hard time making the change from offense to defense,” said Wilkerson.
The Lady Aggies dominated the start the second half, using a 16-5 run to extend their lead. Greene County’s Enchante Lockhart scored 8 of her team high 24 points in the third quarter to keep the Lady Cats alive.
Wilkerson knew Lockhart would play hard. “She’s been a player for me all year,” Wilkerson said. “She and Jonique Moody are my scorers. I get a good effort out of everyone, but those are my two scorers.”
The Lady Cats will face Bay St. Louis in the consolation game Friday, while Forrest County will take on Poplarville in the championship. Samantha Clemts led Forrest County with 18 points.
Appeared in Mississippi Press on 2/11/2011
Division 7-6A Preview
Division basketball tournaments are kicking off across the state this week. The first round matchups are vitally important, as a victory is required to advance to the state tournament.
#1 Biloxi vs #4 George County–Biloxi has not lost a 7-6A matchup in three years. Given the success of the Indians this year against the Rebels, it is hard to believe that loss will come tonight. Look for the Indians to advance.
#2 Pascagoula vs #3 Ocean Springs–This should be the closer of the two matchups tonight. The Panthers have had a better season than the Greyhounds, but Ocean Springs could be deadly if their three ball starts falling. In the end, look for the seedings to hold, setting up a Biloxi/Pascagoula championship.
All games will be hosted by Pascagoula. Play starts tonight and concludes on Friday.
South Mississippi Games to Watch
This week features many important matchups in both soccer and basketball across the southern part of the state. Here is a quick look at some action.
Tuesday:
Basketball-Gulfport @ Pass Christian–This non-division matchup will provide both teams with a good test to see where they are heading into their district tournament. Expect scouts to be on hand to check out the Pirates’ Stanley McGee. Talented junior guard, Jeremy Hollimon will also lace them up for Gulfport in this game.
Soccer-As of now, most of the South State title games will be played on Tuesday night. The winners will advance to the state championship in Clinton.
Wednesday:
Wednesday is usually a dead day for Mississippi athletics, but weather is forcing the Boys 5A South State championship to be played at 6 on Wednesday. The game features the Picayune Maroon Tide traveling to Moss Point to take on the East Central Hornets.
Friday:
A North/South match up should draw the attention of basketball fans as the Brandon Bulldogs travel to play the Vicksburg Gators. The Gators have been flying under some radars, but they may prove to be one of the most dangerous teams on the road to the Big House. This will be the final regular season game for Georgetown recruit Tyler Adams.
One of the toughest rivalries on the Gulf Coast will be renewed as the Biloxi Indians host the Gulfport Admirals. Gulfport won the the last meeting between the two teams in Gulfport 69-66. The Indians would love to turn the tables. To add intrigue to the matchup, there is a strong chance these teams will meet in the South State semifinals where one would be eliminated from the state championship. Look for the scouts to be out at this game. It is believed that Cory Jackson and Curtis Haynes of the Indians have drawn the attention of scouts, and Gulfport’s Jeremy Newsome has been on the radar of some scouts as well.
Also, both the boys and girls 1A/2A/3A soccer championships will be decided at Clinton High School
Saturday:
The boys and girls of 4A, 5A, and 6A will compete at Clinton High School to crown the new soccer champions at those levels.
Hoopsfest 2011 Roundup
For 17 years, the organizers of Hoopsfest at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum attempt to provide the fans with matchups that they may not see on a regular basis. In the 2011 edition, the nightcap featured two Jackson-area teams in Provine High School and Brandon High School, and it allowed an attempt at answering the question of who is the best on the coast in a matchup between the Biloxi Indians and the St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws.
The Pascagoula Panthers were slated to take on the Brandon Bulldogs in the sixth game of Hoopsfest 2011. Brandon entered the game with two players who have signed to play at Division 1 schools. Trey Brown (UT-Chattanooga) and Tyler Adams (Georgetown) did not get off to the start one might expect of two D-1 signees. They combined for 8 points in the first quarter but with contributions from Jeremy Jones and Patrick Brown, the Bulldogs found themselves with a 12-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Brown and Adams both picked up their second fouls in the second quarter. While Brown contributed six points in the quarter, Adams was held scoreless. Jones again came to the rescue of the Bulldogs by chipping in another five points, and at the half, Brandon held a 26-17 lead over Pascagoula.
In the third period, Adams started to show the size and skills that made him attractive to Georgetown. He scored nine points in the quarter, and Brown chipped in another five points. A Ricky Proctor trey pushed the Bulldog’s lead to 15 with 3:35 left in the quarter. Even though the Panthers countered with a well-balanced scoring attack in the quarter, they found themselves trailing by 12 when the quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter, Adams continued to punish the Panthers inside, and Jonathan Sanders did damage from the outside for the Bulldogs. After Pascagoula’s Cordaryl Weathersby fouled out, the Bulldogs pushed their lead out to 20. Their lead would hover around that mark, and the Bulldogs left the coast with a 65-44 victory over Pascagoula.
Adams led all scorers with 22 points, Brown contributed 15 for the Bulldogs, and Jeremy Jones added another 11 points. For Pascagoula, Bryan Williams, who has attracted the eye of some college scouts, finished the game with a team high 13 points.
In the battle for the coast, the St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws took on the Biloxi Indians. While the Indians have gained a reputation for their athleticism on the court, the Rock-a-Chaws boast three Division-1 signees in their starting line up. However, on this night, it would not be Daniel Grieves (Air Force), Davon Hayes (Arkansas State) or Johnny Zuppardo (Arkansas State) that would inflict the most damage on the Indians.
St. Stanislaus got off to a fast start against the Indians with a 10-3 run to open the game. Biloxi would close the gap by going on a 5-0 run to close the first quarter, and after one quarter of play, the score was 10-8 in favor of St. Stanislaus. Biloxi continued their hot streak when the second quarter opened, and the team took a three-point lead with a little over three minutes left in the half. However, a three pointer from Grieves would give the lead back to St. Stanislaus, and they would hold the lead into half time with the score of 21-17.
Coming out of the half, the Indians’ Curtis Haynes was the hottest player on the floor. While St. Stanislaus struggled early to make baskets, Haynes looked as if he was shooting into the Gulf of Mexico across the street. Haynes sunk all six of his attempts from the charity stripe in the third quarter, and he added a three pointer as well. St. Stanislaus recovered enough to keep the Indians within reach, and when the clock ran out on the third quarter, the teams were tied at 28.
Ten seconds into the fourth quarter Hayes hit a thunderous dunk against the Indians, and it seemed to bring all of the momentum to the Rock-a-Chaws. Haynes, who had shot so well for the Indians in the third quarter, struggled to find his touch, and the Rock-a-Chaws began to run away with the lead. Will Reid would strike the biggest dagger of all by nailing a three point shot to put his team up 41-31 with 90 seconds to play. The Rock-a-Chaws held onto that lead and claimed a 48-35 victory over Biloxi.
For the Rock-a-Chaws, Zuppardo and Grieves scored ten points each and Hayes scored 7 points. Haynes was the only Indian to reach double digits, scoring 19 points.
In the marquee event of the evening, the Provine Rams traveled down Highway 49 to take on the Gulfport Admirals. The game featured Ole Miss signee Jarvis Summers and Jeremy Newsome, a Gulfport guard who has caught the eye of scouts.
Both teams started the game slow, but Jarren Mallory of the Rams found his range early, hitting three treys in the opening quarter. However, Summers found himself picking up two fouls in the quarter, and the Admirals, led by Newsome’s six points, took a 15-13 lead into the second quarter. Summers became the dominant player on the court during the second quarter, and his nine points in the second helped his Rams take a 28-27 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was when Provine made its move to pull away. Led by an eight-point performance by Summers, the Rams outscored the Admirals 14-5 in the quarter to take a 42-32 lead into the fourth quarter and take some of the drama out of the game. In that fourth quarter, Summers and Mallory would foul out, but Roger Woods put the Rams on his back and scored eight in the quarter. For the Admirals, the fourth quarter would not go much better than the third, and Provine headed home a 63-40 winner over Gulfport.
SouthMSSports--Keeping you up to date on sports in South Mississippi 