By By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Jan. 23, 2002
PHILADELPHIA The Neshoba Central Rockets have won three of their four games with West Lauderdale this basketball season by a grand total of five points.
The latest thriller was a 57-55 Rocket victory Tuesday night as Tawon Walker converted a one-on-one reverse layup that barely beat the final horn.
The Lady Knights gave coach Jody Hurst his 100th career victory with a 60-51 win in the night's first game.
In the boys' contest, Neshoba jumped out to an 11-4 lead on back-to-back dunks only to have the Knights close to within 20-18 when Chris Seaphus buried a 3-pointer as the first period ended.
West carried a 30-28 lead into halftime behind 12 points from Calvin Moore.
The contest was tied twice in the early stages of the third quarter before the Knights stretched out to a 47-39 lead behind six points from Moore and six from Andre Adams.
The Rockets opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to go up 50-49 and the battle was on for the remaining 5:16 as no more than three points separated the teams down the stretch.
West's Boo Ramsey misfired badly on a 3-pointer with six seconds left and the Rockets quickly whipped the ball down the court to Walker whose reverse layup snapped a 55-55 stalemate.
Neshoba limited the Knights to just eight points over the final eight minutes.
West won the first of this season's four meetings 67-56, while Neshoba has taken the last three by 59-57, 74-73, and now 57-55 margins.
Walker led Neshoba, 18-6, with 20 points. Tavares Walker and Calvin Parker both scored 14 with Desmond Jones adding seven.
Moore led West, 18-7, with 23 points. Adams scored 10, Ramsey had eight, and Carlos Lewis seven.
Heidelberg is 7-0 in Division 5-3A, while West is 7-1.
West girls 60
Neshoba 51
The Lady Knights scored the game's first 12 points, but had to battle back from a four-point deficit in the second half to get Hurst's 100th win.
After taking a 12-0 lead, the Lady Knights saw Neshoba rally to within 17-13 by the end of the first quarter. The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 29-29 as the Lady Rockets scored 11 of the last 15 points of the second quarter.
A layup by Elyse Willis and a short jumper from Miranda Rosar put Neshoba up 33-29 66 seconds into the second half.
The Lady Knights closed the third quarter with a 7-0 run to go up 44-38.
Leading 46-42, West got a basket apiece from JaWanda Huggins, Kristina Gardner, J.J. Huggins, and Patty Monroe to take a 54-42 lead with 3:29 remaining. Neshoba got no closer than nine points.
Monroe hit three 3-pointers in leading West, 23-3, with 16 points. Cierra Jennings hit two 3s in tallying eight points.
The Lady Knights also got 14 points from J.J. Huggins, 11 from Gardner, and eight from JaWanda Huggins.
Rosar led Neshoba, 18-8, with a game-high 20 points.
Neshoba also got 11 points from Willis, who hit three 3s, and eight from India Backstrum.