Lady Knights lose championship joust for the second straight year
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
March 9, 2003
JACKSON Some things just aren't meant to be, and it seems like a girls' basketball championship for West Lauderdale might be on that list.
The Lady Knights battled Ripley tooth and nail Saturday night before coming up on the short end of a 50-43 decision in the Class 3A State Tournament finals in the Mississippi Coliseum.
It was the second year in a row the Lady Knights reached the championship game only to come up short. Last year, West lost 74-55 to New Albany.
West hit only 6-of-21 field goals in the opening half and suffered six turnovers.
Ripley head coach Shane Montgomery knew the game would be a 32-minute battle.
The Lady Tigers did that too.
Ripley got two three-pointers and 10 points from Miayorka Johnson in the first quarter for a 16-7 lead.
West struggled hitting just two of its first 10 field goal attempts. The Lady Knights also had three turnovers in the opening quarter.
J.J. Huggins got five points in the second quarter, and Monroe buried a late three-pointer to pull the Lady Knights to within 22-17 at the break.
A 6-2 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter pulled the Lady Knights to within 24-23, and they trailed by only two points heading into the final quarter.
A basket by Lloyd cut the deficit to 37-3,6 with 5:52 remaining, and a another basket from the 6-foot-2 junior on an assist from Gardner gave the Lady Knights their first lead of the night, with 3:51 left in the contest.
Krystle Holiday responded with a three-point play with 3:35 left to reclaim the upper hand for Ripley, as the Lady Tigers went up 40-39.
Ripley made 8-of-12 free throws over the final three minutes to take the title.
Down 47-41 with 44 seconds left, West watched in disbelief as two passes from Huggins to Cierra Jennings sailed out of bounds to end any comeback hopes.
For the game, the Lady Knights shot 38.3 percent from the floor, with an 8-of-12 effort in the third quarter making the percentage that high.
West finished 31-4, and Ripley closed the year at 32-3.
Huggins had 18 points and eight rebounds. Lloyd had 12 points and six rebounds. Monroe had eight points, and Gardner had five points and eight rebounds.
The loss snapped West's seven-game win streak and was just its second this season against Mississippi competition.
Johnson led Ripley with 23 points. Holiday added 11.
