MHS Wildcats take 70-45 road win over Quitman

By By Will Bardwell/staff writer
November 16, 2003
QUITMAN Meridian used a harassing defense and a hustling offense to beat homestanding Quitman 70-45 on Saturday.
Jacoby Davis led all scorers with 17 points for the Wildcats, and teammate Maurice Naylor added 14 for Meridian, now 3-0 on the season. B.J. Parks was the Panthers' top scorer with 12 points.
The Wildcats dominated from the opening tip. Meridian built a 20-7 lead after the first quarter, forcing its quick pace upon the Panthers and creating fast break opportunities.
Meridian's mistakes gave Quitman the handful of opportunities it enjoyed. In the second quarter, Wildcats center Cyrus McGowan threw down a two-handed dunk, but was hit with a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Turnovers and missed shots also hurt Meridian, but rebounds often provided second and third shots.
While Meridian head coach Ernie Watson was happy with him team's performance on the boards, he said the Wildcats missed too many shots underneath the basket.
Even when Quitman had chances, though, Meridian's defense was stifling. The Wildcats allowed the Panthers just seven points in the first period and held a 36-17 lead at halftime.
Lady Wildcats 52
Lady Panthers 39
Quitman hounded Meridian on both ends of the court for three quarters, but the one period the Lady Panthers relaxed came back to haunt them.
Sophomore Amber Walker came off the bench to lead Meridian with 12 points as the Lady Wildcats edged Quitman 52-39.
Shannon Lloyd also reached double digits for Meridian, scoring 11 points. Quitman's Kemonica McGee was the game's leading scorer with 18 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Much of the Lady Wildcats' points came after offensive rebounds.
Quitman tried frequently to slow down the game's speed and the Lady Wildcats' offense. With about a minute remaining in the first quarter, McGee tucked the ball under one arm near midcourt and did not take a step for more than 20 seconds. Eventually the Lady Panthers took the last shot of the period but missed.
Tied 7-7 going into the second quarter, Meridian exploded to take a 26-14 halftime lead.
The Lady Wildcats improved to 2-1.