McAdams boys and Kosciusko girls both won twice at the two-day McAdams Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The Bulldogs avenged their only loss of the season with a 79-58 victory over Leake Central Tuesday, and followed that up Wednesday with a 70-53 win over McAdams. The Lady Whippets also had two easy victories, 51-34 against Yazoo City and 71-37 over Kosciusko.
McAdams Boys
The Bulldogs were defeated at Leake Central 60-56 November 18. Since then, McAdams has won seven in a row, all by the 1A team against schools from larger classifications, four from 4A, two from 2A and one from 3A. Leake Central and Kosciusko are 4A.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 28-8 first quarter lead against Leake Central, which coach Kenyon Ross attributed to playing in front of a home crowd. “We haven’t played many home games. We have been on the road a lot. The kids came out with a lot of energy, their focus ready to play. Especially being at home, being in front of family and friends”
But he added, “I did not like that we did not sustain the energy throughout the rest of the ball game. We have those spurts where we play well, have one good quarter, then go into lapses.”
Tyrick Davis led the Bulldogs with 17 points, six rebounds and three steals. Cameron Fleming and Jacquese Greer each had 13 points.
Despite the score, Ross was not pleased with his team’s performance against Kosciusko. “We did not play together as a team. That is the key.”
The game was tied 4-4 early before the Bulldogs took command with a 10-0 run. McAdams led 19-8 after one quarter and maintained a double digit lead the rest of the way.
The difference was three point shooting -- the Bulldogs made eight, the Whippets one -- and free throws, with McAdams holding a whopping 20-2 edge.
Davis and Fleming had 24 points each and Greer added 11.
Ross said the team needs better production from the bench.
Kosciusko Girls
The scoring of D’naylah Williams led the Lady Whippets to the two victories. She had 22 points, six rebounds and two steals against Yazoo City, 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the win over McAdams.
Williams exhibited a strong inside and outside game against McAdams, sinking two 3-point shots while often driving to the hoop for baskets or to draw fouls. She made 10 free throws.
“We’re trying to get her to be a little more aggressive,” said coach Cory Guyton.
Against Yazoo City, Jamiya Gray had 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, Rozlyn Fuller seven points and two assists. In the McAdams game, Haley Olive scored 21 points, made five steals and passed for three assists and Gray had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Williams, Gray and Olive haven been consistent scorers for the Lady Whippets, but Guyton said Fuller, Naja Mays and Kaniziya Floyd have provided strong support. Mays missed the tournament games because of illness, but has worked her way into the starting lineup.
Guyton said the tournament wins gives his team momentum going into Region 4-4A play. “We’re just trying to get a rhythm, some cohesion with different lineups. We’re trying some different things to see if we can be competitive in the district. It’s a tough district this year. It’s going to be a dogfight as usual.”
It’s doesn’t get any tougher than the first region game next Tuesday against defending region and state champion Choctaw Central.
Kosciusko Boys
The Whippets were defeated by Velma Jackson 58-41 and McAdams.
“We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and making easy shots around the basket,” said coach Eleazarus Greenleaf. “We still have a problem making free throws.”
Kosciusko had a problem getting to the free throw line during the tournament. The Whippets took only 12 free throws in the two games, converting half.
Kameron Vaughns had 12 points and three rebounds against Velma Jackson, Jaybre Pierce five points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. In the McAdams game, Pierce scored 14 points and had five rebounds and four steals, Vaughns 10 points, four rebounds and three steals, Andrew Mancell eight points, nine rebounds and two steals, Cory Guyton Jr. nine points and three assists and Kantavious Brown eight points and two blocks.
McAdams Girls
The Lady Bulldogs were defeated by Leake Central 53-23 and Kosciusko.
“We started off slow. Too slow,” coach Ashley Brown said after the Kosciusko game. “We’re trying to get a rhythm.”
Both teams started slow offensively in the Kosciusko game. The Lady Bulldogs failed to score the first three minutes, but trailed only 2-0. McAdams took a 5-2 lead on two baskets by Bryia Harmon and a free throw by Kenady Cross, and led for the final time 7-5 on another Hamon basket.
But Kosciusko then ran off 19 straight points as McAdams failed to score the final four minutes of the first quarter and the first three minutes of the second quarter. Kosciusko led 65-25 after three quarters, but was outscored 12-6 in the final period played with a running clock.
Cross led McAdams with 15 points. Harmon, Shawnessey Martin and Ameri Gadson had six each. Cross was also the team’s leading scorer against Leake Central with eight points.
The Tournament
There were 16 games played over two days by teams from 11 schools, with large and enthusiastic crowds throughout.
“Great atmosphere,” said Ross, who also serves as McAdams’ athletic director and assistant principal. “It’s something that coach Jackson envisioned when he put this tournament together a few years back. A family environment.”
Wilson Jackson, who passed away this year, was a long time coach at McAdams and the gymnasium is named in his honor.
“I would like to thank the teams that came out, the fans and the staff at McAdams High School for making everything successful,” Ross said.
