South stars sweep A-AA games

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
March 9, 2002
CLINTON – The South took nearly-identical wins in the girls' and boys' Academy A-AA basketball contests in the A.R. Smithers All-Star games Friday afternoon in the A.E. Wood Coliseum at Mississippi College.
The South girls claimed a 73-68 win with the South boys posting a 74-67 victory.
A-AA South girls 73
A-AA North 68
The South did a long range number on the North as it hit seven 3-pointers in the first half in taking a 36-29 lead into intermission. Vanessa Gordon, a 6-footer from Trinity Episcopal, had three of the treys, while Lane McPherson of Canton Academy had two.
For the game, the South connected on 10 threes.
The South wasted no time in firing from long range or in taking the lead as the South was up 16-9 just seven minutes into the contest that was played with 18 minutes halves.
The South took a 30-16 lead with 4:26 to go in the opening half on a 3-pointer from Gordon.
The North fought back to within 33-28 only to have the South take a 36-29 lead into the break.
A trey from McPherson gave the South a 66-54 advantage with 3:23 left in the contest.
The North rallied to within 70-64 with 1:01 left, but a basket by Gordon and a free throw from McPherson clinched the win.
McPherson led the South with 20 points. South MVP Mallory Worsham of Riverdale Academy had 16, 12 of which came in the second half. Gordon scored 15 and Ancy Myers of Brookhaven Academy added 11. McPherson was 7-of-9 at the free-throw line. B.J. Helton of Leake Academy did not score, but had three rebounds.
Robin Chastain of Marvell Academy led the North with 16 points. North MVP Lauren Adams of Academy A state champion Delta Academy scored 14, Katy Rose White of Winston Academy had nine, and Elise Leslie of Lee (Ark.) Academy tossed in eight. Ashlie McInnis of Heidelberg Academy had four points, a steal, and a rebound.
Jessica Harpole of Kemper Academy had three points and a rebound. White also had three rebounds. Adams was 10-of-12 at the free-throw line.
A-AA South boys 74
A-AA North 67
Blake Anderson of Ben's Ford scored 18 points and Chad Ridley of Trinity Episcopal tossed in 16 to lead the South to the win.
The South carried a 38-30 lead into halftime behind eight points from Ridley and six from South MVP Jason Berry of Academy Overall champion CM&I. Jonathan Stevens of Winston Academy had a team-high five first-half points for the North.
The South led 66-57 before Ricky Rigby of East Holmes Academy came up with a loose ball basket and Sanders Bohlke of Magnolia Heights School added a layup to bring the North to within 66-61 with 3:31 to go.
Six-foot-6 Paul Coker of Brookhaven Academy upped the South's lead to 70-63 with a pair of baskets, but Bohlke scored on a layup and a five-foot jumper in the lane to cut the North's deficit to 70-67 with 1:45 still remaining. On its next possession, the North took three 3-pointers, missing all three. Another 3-point miss on its next possession, enabled the South to go up 72-67 on a basket by Ridley.
With 34.1 seconds left, Stevens missed all three free throws after being fouled behind the arc and Coker sealed the win with a layup eight seconds later.
Stevens led the North with 14 points. Bohlke scored eight, North MVP Blake Fulton of Winston Academy, Rigby, and Nathan Hurdle of Marshall each had seven.