By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
June 22, 2001
DECATUR Not many basketball teams know each other as well as the high school girls' squads from Lake and Scott Central.
But even though the Lady Hornets and Lady Rebels won't be division rivals next season for the first time in nearly a decade, their first-round matchup in Thursday's State Games of Mississippi competition still made for an interesting show.
Lake, which won the Class 1A title just three months ago, held off Scott Central 44-35 Thursday in Pool 4 girls' action at Newton County High School.
Scott Central, which moves up to Class 2A under the new alignment by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, won the 1A crown in 2000.
In Thursday's other first-day games at Newton County, the Pillow Academy girls edged Jefferson County 40-38, Pillow's boys roped Scott Central 77-26 and Raymond's boys edged Jackson Academy 50-44.
Today's nine-game slate of games at Newton County begin at 9:30 a.m.
Lake head coach Bill Ingersoll said he wanted to give his Lady Hornets plenty of time to rest after winning the title, but his team continues to work.
"I thought we looked real good considering it was the first time we'd been together this summer," Ingersoll said. "I told them if they wanted to go and shoot together that it was fine, but that I was going to leave them alone.
"They needed some time off, but attendance certainly hasn't been any kind of problem."
The Lady Hornets went 34-3 last season and lost just one starter in Odena Cox, who is helping Ingersoll this week as an assistant coach.
Three of the four returning starters scored in double figures for Lake Thursday, with Kimyatta Viverette leading the way with 15 points. Roxana Rogers and Kim Cox each added a dozen points.
Lake led 24-19 at halftime in the matchup of cross-county rivals.
Kattie Nickson led Scott Central with 16 points, while Britney Burks was also in double figures with 12.
Rocky Higginbotham is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.