Lady Warriors bump off another unbeaten
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Jan. 9, 2004
NEWTON Choctaw Central's Lady Warriors further trimmed the area's unbeaten girls' basketball teams Thursday night with a 61-57 victory over Bay Springs in the opening round of the Newton Invitational Tournament.
Bay Springs wasn't awed by the Lady Warriors' 108-90 win over previously-unbeaten Southeast Lauderdale earlier this week. The Lady Bulldogs outscored Choctaw Central 19-12 in the first quarter and held the upper hand in the first half until the final 2:20 of the second quarter.
The Lady Warriors eased into halftime with a slim 30-29 lead.
Bay Springs held a 52-51 lead to start the final quarter.
Choctaw Central got a basket from Mystee Dale, a 3-pointer from Chantay Frazier, and a layup from Deonna Isaac to go up 58-52 with 5:33 remaining.
With Dale fouling out and Frazier having four fouls, Choctaw Central head coach Walter Wilson was about to adopt a new strategy.
After the Lady Bulldogs got a pair of free throws from Nadosha Strickland with 5:23 left, Choctaw Central spread the floor and neither team scored again until Jasmine Payne scored on a putback for Bay Springs to bring the Lady Bulldogs to within 58-56 with only 55 seconds left.
Isaac hit two free throws with 43 seconds to go for a 60-56 lead and Bay Springs missed six shots down the stretch as both teams added just one more point.
Choctaw Central, 16-0, got 14 points from Ashley Flint, 13 from Frazier, and 12 each from Dale and Shyatesa York.
Bay Springs, 15-1, got 25 points from Kristi Martin, 10 each from Strickland and Payne, and six from Sandra McMillian.
Choctaw Central (boys) 73
Bay Springs 63
Choctaw Central placed five players in double figures in beating the Bulldogs by 10 points.
The Warriors led 24-12 at the end of the first quarter only to have Bay Springs rally to within 38-37 by halftime. Choctaw Central pulled back out to a 55-45 advantage by the end of the third quarter.
Bay Springs closed to within 57-55 with 5:10 remaining, but a 7-0 run padded the Warriors' lead back to nine points with 3:05 left.
Choctaw Central made nine of its last 10 free throws to clinch the win.
The 14-2 Warriors got 19 points from Sean Ahshapanek, 15 from Jaric Anderson, 14 from Scotty Nickey, 12 from Rodgrick Anderson, 11 from Joseph Martin, and eight from Duran Morris.
Reggie Shellwood scored 21 points to lead Bay Springs, 12-4. Labarton Jones hit six 3-pointers in tallying 19 points. Derrick Hosey had seven points.
Newton (girls) 53
Louisville 41
Newton outscored Louisville 23-11 in the fourth quarter to improve to 14-5.
The game was knotted at 30 to start the final period. Newton opened the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run and held a 46-36 advantage after Karmarshea Jones got all of Newton's points in a 9-4 run.
Jones led the Lady Tigers with 22 points. Chotsani Henderson scored 11 with Jessica Anderson and Tawaytha Evans both getting eight.
Dandy Dozen selection and Ole Miss signee Dee Forest led Louisville, 11-3, with a game-high 28 points. Kim Mullins accounted for the Lady Wildcats' other 13 points.
The Newton-Louisville boys' contest was not completed by press time.
Today's games have Choctaw Central and Louisville playing a girls' game at 4:30 p.m. and a boys' contest at 5:45. Newton takes on Bay Springs at 7 p.m. and 8:15.
