Choctaw girls cruising

By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
June 26, 2004
NEWTON It may be the end of June, but the Choctaw Central girls basketball team is in midseason form.
The Lady Warriors cruised to two wins in the opening day of the State Games of Mississippi high school basketball tournament in the Newton Pool on Thursday.
Choctaw Central defeated South Pike by 48 points in its first game and downed East Marion by 61 points in its second game at Newton High School.
Even Lady Warriors coach Walter Wilson was in midseason form, underselling his team's blowout wins after the last game.
Choctaw Central and Newton High School share the top spot in Pool IV play at Newton High School's gym. Each team is 2-0. The Lady Warriors meet the Tigerettes at 10:15 a.m. to determine the pool's winner.
Pillow Academy is in first place in Pool III with a 2-0 mark. The Lady Mustangs defeated Newton County High School and Lake High School.
Because the Durant girls team was unable to make the tournament, Pillow Academy will meet the winner of Pool IV at 8 tonight for a chance to go to Sunday's medal game. Newton County and Lake will play today at 10:15 a.m. at Newton County's gym.
Choctaw Central 69
South Pike 21
Chantay Frazier knocked down four three-pointers en route to scoring a game-high 16 points for Choctaw Central in its win over South Pike.
Shyatesa York tallied 14 for the Lady Warriors, and Kristen Steve added eight in the win.
South Pike's Brittany Fultz scored a team-high eight points, and Candace Felder added six.
Choctaw 89
E. Marion 28
Choctaw Central went on a 22-6 run in the opening seven minutes against East Marion, and the Lady Warriors built their lead to 53-11 by halftime in the squad's second win of the day.
Choctaw Central didn't allow East Marion to reach double digits until the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half, and the Lady Warriors upped their lead to 61-11 in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the second half.
Mystee Dale led Choctaw Central's offense with 18 points, and Kayla Waiter added 16. Frazier scored nine points for the Lady Warriors.
Santan Bullock tallied a team-high 10 points for East Marion, which only had six players for the first day of the tournament, and Taneisha Stokes tallied five.
Newton 60
E. Marion 41
Whitney Thames led Newton High School's offense with 13 points in the squad's win over East Marion. Tawaytha Evans scored 12 for the Tigerettes, and Karmarshea Jones added 10.
Bullock tallied a game-high 18 points for East Marion, and Stokes scored 12 in the loss.
Newton 60
S. Pike 37
Jones poured in a game-high 18 points for Newton High School in the Tigerettes win over South Pike. Thames tallied 16, and Jessica Anderson added 10 for Newton.
Fultz scored a team-high 16 for South Pike, and Fredrica Gallager added six.
Pillow Aca. 46
Newton Co. 40
Willis Tullos coached his latest team with a full roster and inside the Newton County home gym for the first time in the tournament's opening day.
Tullos, who won three girls state championships at Choctaw Central, took over the Newton County girls team in April, and he got his first taste of the new school in a 46-40 loss at the hands of Pillow Academy.
Andrea Dubose scored a game-high 19 points for Newton County, and Nesha Ramsey and Danielle Gaddis tallied nine and seven, respectively.
Pillow Aca. 37
Lake 30
Flautt knocked down a three-pointer three minutes into the second half to give Pillow Academy a 22-21 lead, and the Lady Mustangs never trailed Lake again to pick up their second win of the day.
Flautt scored a game-high 22 points, draining three treys in the second half, for Pillow Academy, and Megan Webb scored 13 points.