Brookhaven caps off perfect season
By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
February 29, 2004
CLINTON The Leake Academy Rebelettes hit Brookhaven Academy with everything in their arsenal in Saturday's Overall championship at Mississippi College's A.E. Wood Coliseum.
Brookhaven took every challenge and responded for a 72-67 win to cap a perfect 43-0 season.
The contest between two of the more storied programs in the MPSA saw 11 lead changes and five ties in the first half before Brookhaven took a 34-28 lead into the break.
It was a far cry from an 87-60 Brookhaven blowout of Leake in last week's Class AA State Tournament finals at Canton Academy.
Few can appreciate Brookhaven's accomplishment more than Wolverton as his 1998-99 team went 46-0 and was the last MPSA team to finish a season unbeaten prior to Saturday.
Brookhaven had what appeared to be a safe 62-51 lead with 3:58 remaining as Kelli Byrd hit four straight free throws to cap a 6-0 Lady Cougar run.
But Leake, which had ridden its inside game with Caldwell, turned to an outside attack as sophomore Caroline Dees hit three 3-pointers from the left corner, the last coming with 42 seconds left, to pull Leake to within 69-64.
After Mallory Logan hit a free shot for a six-point Brookhaven lead with 39 seconds left, Anna Lisa Posey buried a trey from the right corner as Leake closed to within 70-67 with 23 seconds still on the clock.
Logan clinched the win with a pair of free throws with 7.9 seconds showing.
Brookhaven made 16-of-19 free throws in the fourth quarter, including 13 in a row in a five-minute, 30-second span.
Leake jumped out to a 4-0 lead only to have the Lady Cougars lead by as many as four points in a first quarter that ended with Brookhaven up 14-12.
The see-saw battle continued in the second quarter before Brookhaven closed the half with a 7-0 run to take a 34-28 lead into halftime.
Brookhaven looked like it might finish Leake off early in the second half, scoring the first five points to go up 39-28.
Leake tallied 10 of the next 14 points to rally to within 44-38 with 3:46 to go in the third quarter. Caroline Dees and freshman Reagan Dees both had four points in the run.
A 7-2 run by Leake with five points coming from Caldwell pulled the Rebelettes to within 50-45 by the end of the third period.
Brookhaven again pulled out to an 11-point lead with just under four minutes remaining before Caroline Dees and Posey got hot from behind the arc.
Caldwell finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Caroline Dees had 17 points. Allison Phillips had eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Reagan Dees had eight points and four assists. Greggina Tadlock was held to five points, but had eight rebounds.
Brookhaven got 23 points apiece from Byrd and Logan. Logan had 17 in the first half. Kristian Davidson, a transfer from Wayne Academy, had 10 with Jessie Aultman and Lauren Smith adding six each.
The Lady Cougars made 20-of-27 free throws, while Leake was 11-of-16 at the line.
Jackson Academy defeated MRA 50-39 for the boys' championship.
