Kosciusko boys’ basketball moved into a tie for first in a tightly-bunched Region 3-4A with two victories last week.The Whippets defeated Leake Central 61-54 and Choctaw Central 57-43 to tie Leake atop the region standings with a 4-2 record. But only two games separate all six teams as they jockey for position heading into the region tournament.“It's a tough district. Everybody is pretty good, pretty scrappy. You have scorers on every team and good ball handlers,” said Coach Eleazarus Greenleaf. “You just have to play every night. Anybody can be beaten on any given night.”Kosciusko came from behind in both games after trailing Leake Central by one point and Choctaw Central by four at the half.Against Leake Central, JaQuan Hall had 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Azikwe' Mays contributed 20 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.“My guys kept their composure,” said Greenleaf, who gave much of the credit for the team's success to Mays, a senior who has shown great improvement since last year. “This year, he made a commitment to being in better shape and playing hard every game, and that's what he has done,” said the coach. “As the season progressed, he has gotten better and better each game, and not just in scoring.”Against Choctaw Central, Antonio Harmon had 25 points, six rebounds and three steals, Hall notched 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists, and Ellis Armon put up 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.“Once again, we found ourselves fighting out of a hole,” Greenleaf said of the halftime deficit. The Whippets took control by outscoring Choctaw Central 21-6 in the third quarter. “We got back to playing the kind of defense I knew we could play.”He feels the team is peaking at the right time, especially on defense. “We're doing a great job of sticking to the game plan. When we stick to the game plan on defense, we are tough to beat. Offense is not a problem. We can score,” he said. “Everybody who steps on the court is giving 100 percent, and that is all you can ask. Hopefully, we can maintain what we are doing and keep striving to get better.”The immediate goal is to finish the regular season in the top two. That would mean an opening round bye at the region tournament and automatic qualification for the 4A state tournament.GirlsAn untimely injury contributed to a 65-64 loss to Leake Central. The Lady Whippets had a double digit lead in the second quarter when point guard Jamiya Gray went down with an ankle injury.“That disrupted our rhythm,” said Coach Cory Guyton. “Everything kind of went the other way once Jamiya was hurt. Leake Central started to press. We turned the ball over too much. We have to live and learn.”The injury left the Lady Whippets down two starters. Jakayla Seawood missed the game with a knee injury.Ariel Fleming led Kosciusko with 26 points and three rebounds. Mariah Woods had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Aaliyah Amey put up 14 points, 15 rebounds and three steals.Region leader Choctaw Central defeated Kosciusko 73-34. Seawood returned to action with seven points and six rebounds. Fleming, Amey and Hannah Olive had six points each.The Whippets and Lady Whippets played Louisville Tuesday and have home games with Northeast Lauderdale Friday. The regular season concludes next week with games at West Lauderdale and Leake
