By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Dec. 19, 2001
DECATUR Most of the 2001-2002 school year has belonged to Newton County in games with West Lauderdale. Tuesday night, West struck back, taking two wins at Newton County in the last basketball action for either team before Christmas.
West grabbed a 65-53 win in the girls' game. The Lady Knights' next action is Dec. 27 at Birmingham, Ala. The Newton County Lady Cougars also return to the court in a tournament at Nanih Waiya that same day against Kemper County.
The Knights won the boys' game 64-57. Next up for West is a contest with Warren Central in the JPS/Capitol Classic on Dec. 26. Newton County's next game is with Louisville in a tournament at Philadelphia on Dec. 27.
Girls
West 65
Newton County 53
The Lady Knights improved to 12-3 with the 12-point win. West led 19-13 after one quarter after scoring seven of the last nine points in the opening period.
Newton County got to within 19-16 on a quick 3-pointer from Kristin Chaney, but West went on an 8-0 run to stretch out to a 27-16 lead.
The Lady Knights carried a 38-24 advantage into halftime.
Newton County got no closer than nine points in the third quarter as West took a 50-39 lead into the final period.
The Lady Knights then scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to go up 58-39 and never led by less than 12 points the rest of the night.
West got a game-high 23 points from J.J. Huggins, 14 from Kristina Gardner, 12 from JaWanda Huggins, seven from Patty Monroe, and five from Cierra Jennings.
Newton County, 7-6, got 20 points from Yolanda Johnson. The senior center was 12-of-14 at the free-throw line. Phyllis Cole added 11 points with Dominique Mapp scoring eight. Chaney and Courtney Dorsett added five apiece.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Lady Cougars as they fell to 0-3 in Division 5-3A. West improved to 3-1 in league play.
West 64
Newton County 57
Unlike last week when the Knights fell behind 9-0 and 8-0 in games with Northeast Lauderdale and Philadelphia, West struck early for a 24-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
It was the rest of the night that presented problems as Newton County got to within 34-26 by halftime.
The Cougars battled to within 49-48 on a 3-pointer with 6:34 remaining in the game.
The Knights then reeled off nine straight points to go up 58-48 and Newton County got no closer than eight points the rest of the night.
Newton County fell to 1-2 in 5-3A.
Calvin Moore led West, 12-3 overall, with a game-high 26 points. Boo Ramsey scored 15, Karlos Lewis had 11, and Andre Adams added six.
Newton County, 6-5, got 13 points apiece from Al Willis and Mylan Anderson, 11 from Tony Smith, eight from Ken Windham, and five each from Del Murrell and Richard Croft.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551, ext. 3235.