By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
March 10, 2001
JACKSON Joe Miller has seen Monique Horner bent over and sucking air literally hundreds of times in his coaching career.
And nearly every time, Horner got right back up and made the play.
Friday afternoon was no different, as Horner scored 43 points in helping Southeast Lauderdale to an 81-77 win over South Pontotoc in the Class 3A girls' state championship game at the Mississippi Coliseum.
Horner, already Mississippi's career scoring leader, finished with 4,853 points more than 1,200 better than anyone else in the history of girls' 5-on-5 basketball. Her 43 points Friday tied Greenville's Latoya Thomas now an All-American at Mississippi State for the most points ever by a girl at the Big House.
Horner did know she was tired, however. She had 17 points in the first half, then after getting a little rest at halftime, came out and nailed her first two 3-pointers of the third quarter.
And maybe, for Miller's, as well.
Horner, who had not played in the state tournament since she did it as an eighth-grader, said the nerves in the first half were tremendous, despite the fact that she was 7-of-15 from the field.
Miller, with his first-ever state title in his 11th year at the school, said he'd sleep better knowing Horner will soon be wearing a state championship ring.
Rocky Higginbotham is the sports editor of The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.