By By Ryan Satcher/The Meridian Star
Nov. 20, 2001
The Lady Raiders of Lamar School came up just short in their comeback attempt and fell to the visitors from East Rankin Academy 47-43 in high school girls basketball action on Monday night.
East Rankin used good pressure defense early in the game to build a 12-point halftime lead, but Lamar would battle back to within a basket before some clutch free throws put the game away.
After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Lady Raiders battled back to within a basket of going ahead late in the game.
Myleia Shirley, who lead the Lady Raiders with 14 points on the night, hit a free throw with 2:35 left in the game to get Lamar to within one point at 44-43. That free throw culminated a nine-point run for the Lady Raiders.
Lamar had a chance to take the lead, but was turned away by the East Rankin defense. The visiting Lady Patriots hit three free throws in the final 25 seconds to ice the win.
Lamar opened the game with a three-pointer by April Rodgers, but would not score again for the next five minutes as East Rankin built an early 12-3 lead. With just a few seconds left in the first quarter, East Rankin's Amy Cole would hit a three-pointer to make the score at the end of the first quarter 19-9.
East Rankin would build its lead to 13 as Lamar went four minutes without a field goal in the first half. The Lady Patriots build a 16-point lead at 33-17 before Shirley hit a three-pointer and added a free throw with two minutes left in the half to make the lead 12.
Lizzie Williams would cut the lead to nine after a three-point play with 1:02 left in the half.
East Rankin came out in the second half and extended its lead to 16 when Crystal Sessums, who led the Lady Patriots with 14 points, made two free throws to finish a 6-1 run. Lamar put together an 8-0 run in the third quarter that was capped off with a basket by Williams with 1:10 left.
Lamar took over in the fourth quarter and held the Lady Patriots to just three points all quarter.
Williams scored 12 points for Lamar. The Lady Raiders will travel to Dekalb to take on the Lady Rams of Kemper Academy today.
The Junior High Lady Raiders got nine points from Cheryl Luquire in their 24-21 victory. Denver Harrison scored nine points and Taylor Dean and Matthew Fort both added eight to lead the Junior High Raiders to a 45-24 win.