By By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Jan. 6, 2002
FOREST – A year ago, the Choctaw Central Lady Warriors ended Forest's season with a loss in the consolation game of the Class 3A South State Tournament at CCHS.
Saturday night, the Lady Warriors came into Forest's Durward G. Smith gym and defeated the Lady Bearcats 60-44 for the Central Mississippi Classic championship.
The teams battled on nearly even ground for a little over a quarter.
Forest used two 3-pointers from Sheena Evans and another from Latasha McClendon to take a 16-11 lead with 1:26 to go in the first quarter.
The Lady Warriors got back to within two points when Willamae Thomas' laser shot from halfcourt swished through the basket to cut Forest's lead to 16-14 as the first quarter horn sounded.
The 3-point game deserted the Lady Bearcats in the second quarter. After they took a quick 18-16 lead on a basket from Melissa Patrick, the Forest girls wouldn't score again until just 37 seconds remained in the first half when Evans canned a pair of free throws.
Choctaw Central got four points apiece from Ashley Flint and Trish Phillips to take a 25-20 lead into halftime.
The Lady Warriors went up 28-20 on a 3-pointer from Chantay Frazier early in the third quarter.
Forest trimmed its deficit to 28-25 on a trey from Evans only to have the Lady Warriors go on a 7-0 run capped by a three from Shavon Willis to take a double-digit lead at 35-25.
Forest scratched back to within four on three occasions, the last at 39-35, before Choctaw Central put together an 8-0 run to go up 47-35 to end the third quarter.
The Lady Bearcats got no closer than nine points in the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Willis put the Lady Warriors up 55-38 with 4:05 remaining and they worked the clock effectively the rest of the game.
Choctaw Central had five 3-pointers and went 15-of-21 at the free-throw line. Forest was 4-of-8 at the charity stripe.
It's carried us. When we needed free throws, we made them and we didn't lose our composure." he added.
The Lady Warriors were 38-of-56 at the free-throw line in their three games here and went 33-of-45 in their last two contests.
The Lady Warriors got 13 points apiece from Willis and Frazier as they improved to 17-1. Phillips and tournament MVP Deaundrea Johnson both scored 10 points with Thomas tossing in seven.
Forest, 10-7, got 16 points from Evans, who hit three, three-pointers. Ebone'e Leverette had 11 points with Latasha McClendon scoring five.
Lake 54
Scott Central 48
Lake's Kim Cox snapped a 48-48 tie with a pair of free throws with 1:05 left and the Lady Hornets made four of their next six free shots to take the third-place game.
The game was close throughout. Lake led 12-10 after one quarter and took a 25-23 lead into halftime.
The contest was even at 33-33 at the end of the third period.
The game was tied four more times before Cox gave the Lady Hornets the lead for good.
Lake, 11-3, got 15 points from Roxana Rogers, 11 from Kimyatta Viverette, nine from April Viverette, eight from Shariece Towner, and five from Cox.
Scott Central, 13-7, got 16 points from Britney Burks, 15 from Kattie Nickson, and nine from Marquita Anderson.