Games prep hoops open Thursday
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
June 18, 2002
Forty-four high school basketball teams will battle for four days to see who wears the gold medals when State Games tournament play ends Sunday afternoon.
Twenty-three girls' teams and 21 boys' teams will compete in the tournament. Both divisions are divided into four pools with pool champions to be decided by games Thursday through Saturday.
On Sunday, the Pool I girls' winner will play the Pool III winner in one semifinal at 9 a.m. at Meridian Community College with the Pool II champion meeting the Pool IV winner at 9 at Meridian High School.
In boys' semifinal action, the Pool I winner will play the Pool III champion at 10:15 a.m. at MCC with the Pool II champion taking on the Pool IV winner at 10:15 at MHS.
The girls' gold medal game is slated for 1:30 p.m. at MCC with the boys' title game to follow.
Girls' teams in Pool I are Yazoo County, Oak Grove, Warren Central, Southeast Lauderdale, West Lauderdale, and Quitman.
In Pool II are McAdams, Laurel, Central Academy, Meridian, and Kossuth.
Girls in Pool III are Newton County, Pillow Academy, Choctaw Central, Union, South Pike, and East Marion.
Boys' teams in Pool I are West Lauderdale, Quitman, Choctaw Central, Starkville, and Meridian's B team.
In Pool II are Columbia, McAdams, Laurel, Northeast Lauderdale, Meridian, and Kemper County.
In Pool III are Newton County, Brookhaven, Union, Scott Central, and Taylorsville.
Competing in Pool IV are Newton, Bay Springs, Jefferson County, Pillow Academy, and Cleveland.
Thursday's games at MCC have Yazoo County's girls taking on Oak Grove at 2:30 p.m., Southeast Lauderdale's girls facing Warren Central at 3:45, West Lauderdale's boys taking on Quitman at 5, Choctaw Central's boys meeting Meridian's B team at 6, and West Lauderdale's girls' playing Quitman at 7:15.
Thursday's games at Meridian High School have the girls from McAdams and Laurel clashing at 2:30 p.m., Central Academy's girls playing Meridian at 3:45, Columbia's boys meeting McAdams at 5, Northeast Lauderdale's boys facing Laurel at 6, and Meridian's boys squaring off with Kemper County at 7:15.
Three games are slated for Thursday at East Central Community College in Decatur. South Pike's girls take on East Marion at 2:30 p.m., Cleveland's girls face Crystal Springs at 3:45, and Union's boys meet Scott Central at 5.
Thursday's games at Newton County High School at Decatur have the Choctaw Central and Union girls opening the day's activity at 2:30 p.m. Newton County's girls host Pillow Academy at 3:45. At 5, the Newton County boys take on Brookhaven and at 6, the Jefferson County boys play Pillow Academy.
Thursday also has three games at Newton High School. Taylorsville meets Division 7-2A rival Bay Springs at 2:30 p.m. At 3:45, Newton's girls take on Jefferson County, and at 5, the Newton boys face Bay Springs. All games will be played with two 14-minute halves.