Kosciusko (19-6, 6-1 Region 4-4A) enters the last week of the regular season with a firm grip of the No. 1 spot in the Region 4-4A standings. And after going 2-0 in contests last week, the Whippets are poised to enter the upcoming regional tournament as the tourney favorite.
“It means a whole lot to us after the way last year went,” Kosciusko coach Eleazarus Greenleaf said. “Last year we didn’t win a district game at all. We went 0-8 in the district last year, and to come back this year and be 6-1, that shows a lot of character from these guys and heart and determination to be successful this year.”
Kosciusko defeated Choctaw County 42-36 last Tuesday, and it beat Noxubee County 68-44 on Friday.
O’Corrya Forrest scored a team-high 15 points to go with four rebounds. In the Whippets’ win against Choctaw County, Antonio Harmon added 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Terry Skinner finished with nine points, four steals and two assists.
Harmon tallied 22 points and 10 rebounds against Noxubee County. Forrest added 12 points, five rebounds and two steals; Skinner contributed with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
The Whippets travel to Leake Central (10-14, 2-5) on Tuesday, where they will face off against the Gators team that they defeated 69-66 on Jan. 15. Harmon scored 22 points and Banks poured in 18 points in the first meeting. Leake Central has gone 2-4 in their last six contests, and most recently suffered a 67-35 loss to New Hope.
Kosciusko will recognize the members of its senior class on Thursday before facing French Camp Academy (6-13, 1-4) in the regular-season finale. The Whippets earned a 59-27 win against French Camp Academy on Dec. 7 in a game where Forrest scored a team-high 19 points and six steals.
“I expect them to continue to play hard in practice and stay focused,” Greenleaf said. “They understand and realize what’s at stake and how things can turn out.”
GIRLS
January was not kind to the Lady Whippets. The team went 2-6 during the month and fell behind in the Region 4-4A standings.
The Lady Whippets began their February with a 45-38 win at Noxubee County last Friday to up their regional record 3-4.
“We really needed that district win,” Kosciusko coach Cory Guyton said. “I think we were coming off losing four in a row, and we really needed that district win. It’s getting close to the end of the season, and they are starting to realize the importance of the game. I think they came out with a lot of energy in the first half. Once we got the lead, we kind of got lax a little bit, but we showed good fortitude and we ended up maintaining the victory.”
Aaliyah Amey led the way against the Lady Tigers with a 12-point effort, and Ariel Fletcher chipped in with 12 points. Diamond Rayford collected a team-high nine rebounds, and Amey tallied eight rebounds. Mikhayla Vaughn’s four assists were a team-high.
Kosciusko went 11 of 19 on free-throw attempts.
Rayford had a 16-point effort and hauled in 10 rebounds night against Choctaw County, but it still was not enough as the Lady Chargers defeated the Lady Whippets 56-42 last Tuesday.
Ariel Fleming finished with 11 points.
“These last games, just cleaning up some mistakes we’ve been making before the district tournament,” Guyton said. “We just want to get more camaraderie and get on the same page on the basketball court. These last few games are about trying to get in rhythm. Playoff time is about getting hot at the right time, so I feel that if we can get hot at the right time, then we can get into the playoff picture.”
