NE Jones beats Noxubee County in 4A Tourney

By By Shawn Wansley / EMG sports writer
March 4, 2004
JACKSON Teams usually have a tough time adjusting to shooting the basketball when they visit the spacious Mississippi Coliseum.
Don't put the Northeast Jones Lady Tigers in that category.
Northeast Jones scored the first 15 points of the game and held off a fourth quarter surge by Noxubee County en route to an 85-73 victory in the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A Girls State Tournament here Wednesday afternoon.
The victory moves the Lady Tigers, 30-3, into a semifinal match Tuesday at 1 p.m. against North Class 4A champion Jackson Callaway, 28-3.
Noxubee County ends the season at 23-13.
NEJ used its usual balanced attack against Noxubee County. The NEJ starters accounted for all the points, led by Kim Lewis' 32-point effort. Taphne Jackson added 20, including 11-of-12 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Kristin Blackledge had 16, Jessica McKenzie 15 and Ebonie Jefferson 2.
Lewis got NEJ off to a good start by nailing a three-pointer. Midway through the first quarter, McKenzie scored to make it 15-0 at the 3:08 mark of the quarter. Krystal Boswell finally got Noxubee County on the board with a basket with 3:00 left.
McKenzie drained a three-pointer to make it 24-6 with 18 seconds left, but Latanya Williams hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, making it 24-9 after the first quarter. McKenzie scored 11 points for NEJ in the first period.
Lewis took over in the second quarter, scoring her team's first eight points of the period. Her basket with 6:32 left gave NEJ its longest lead of the game at 32-11.