By Staff
HOOPSTERS Clarkdale's #11 battles through two Kemper County defenders. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Dec. 22, 2001
DEKALB There's no doubt the Kemper County Wildcats have a strong inside game with 6-foot-8 Kenny Boyd and Ronterrian Dale.
Charles Jackson's Wildcats have a pretty strong outside game as well as evidenced by five 3-point baskets in the first quarter alone in Friday's 86-54 Division 5-2A win over Clarkdale.
Kemper improved to 4-1 in 5-2A and 11-2 overall with the win. Clarkdale fell to 1-3 and 4-11.
Chris Davis hit three treys in the opening period with Marques Mays and Kendrick Benamon adding one apiece.
The long-range attack was nothing new.
Kemper led 26-11 after one quarter and carried a 46-24 lead into halftime over the Bulldogs.
The Wildcats stretched their advantage to 73-38 by the end of the third quarter.
Boyd led five Kemper players in double figures with 14 points. Benamon scored 12 with Dale, Kelvin Tansley, and Terrance Westerfield each scoring 10. Davis had nine, Gary Griffin scored six, and Mays and James Moore both had five.
Moore, the point guard, was making his first appearance after suffering a broken ankle seven weeks ago.
Clarkdale got 16 points from Bryant Gaddis, who hit four 3-pointers. Quinton Walker scored eight points, Cedric Burns tossed in seven, and Rocky Kirksey added six.
Next up for Kemper is a Dec. 27 game with Neshoba Central in the Philadelphia-Rush Medical Holiday Classic. Clarkdale's next action is in the Sweet Water (Ala.) Boys' Invitational on Dec. 27.
Kemper County Girls 61
Clarkdale 50
Kemper outscored Clarkdale 36-19 in the second half to improve to 1-4 in 5-2A and 3-8 overall.
Clarkdale fell to 0-4 and 6-11.
The Lady Bulldogs led 12-6 after one quarter and carried a six-point (31-25) edge into halftime.
Kemper used a 22-12 advantage in the third period to go up 47-43 and outscored Clarkdale 14-7 over the final eight minutes.
Monique Mosley led the comeback as she scored 12 of her game-high 20 points in the second half. Eight came in the third quarter as she knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.
Kemper also got 11 points from Melody Nave, nine from Lakeshia Coleman, eight from Tamician Davis, and seven from Amanda Grace.
Clarkdale got 18 points from Danielle Gaddis, 13 from Felicia Kirksey, and 12 from Tamara Brown.
Kemper returns to the court on Dec. 27 against Newton County in the Nanih Waiya Christmas Invitational. The Clarkdale girls are off until a Jan. 8 contest with Newton.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.