Stokes sparkles for North

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
March 8, 2003
CLINTON Meagan Stokes had probably as long a layoff as any of the
players who participated in the MPSA/A.R. Smithers Class A-AA Girls' All-Star Basketball Game Friday afternoon at Mississippi College.
Stokes, a senior at Central Academy in Macon, didn't show any signs of rust as she scored 15 points and had seven rebounds in the North's 64-52
victory.
North head coach Doyle Wolverton of Leake Academy had seen enough of
Stokes over the years to know he wanted her to be his go-to girl on the
inside.
was pretty good."
Stokes was glad to be on Wolverton's side for a change as her team never beat him in five years.
eighth grade. He's beat me so many times.
Stokes, who averaged 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Lady Vikings, hadn't seen game action since the Central girls were knocked off by Winston Academy in the opening round of the Academy 3-A Tournament on Feb. 3 at Sylva-Bay.
Stokes came out hot, scoring eight points and pulling down five rebounds
in the game's first seven minutes.
The South took a 31-27 lead into halftime despite being whistled for 17
fouls to only eight for the North. South MVP Anna Gatlin of AA state champion Brookhaven Academy led her team at the break with eight points.
The South led 44-37 with eight minutes left before Stokes and North MVP Natalie Ellington of Overall runner-up Strider Academy started a comeback that eventually resulted in a 12-point win.
Ellington scored two baskets and Hope McMullin of Benton Academy had another before Stokes fed Ellington for a layup and a 46-45 lead with 6:07 remaining.
Stokes converted a three-point play 35 seconds later and got open underneath the basket for a 53-46 lead with 4:44 showing.
Nikki Meeks of Central Holmes buried a three-pointer for a 56-46 advantage with 4:20 remaining and the South got no closer than six points
after that.
Heather Harber of Deer Creek hit a trey with 3:35 left to cut the South's deficit to 56-50, but the North put together an 8-0 run for the win.
Ellington finished with 18 points. Meeks had seven points, while McMullin
and Amy Nobile of Kirk Academy both had six.
Megan Whitaker of Kemper Academy had two points and four rebounds.
and go with it."
Suzanne Lightsey of Heidelberg Academy did not score and sat out the
final seven minutes after suffering an injury to her right ankle.
Katie Ebey of Overall champion Riverdale Academy led the South with 11
points. Gatlin scored nine, Renalda Stafford, also of Riverdale, had eight,
and Harber and Mallory Lee of Presbyterian Christian both had six.
South A-AA Boys 80
North A-AA Boys 76
The South outscored the North 45-37 over the second half to take the win.
The North led 39-35 at halftime with Seth Adams and Zach Shaw, both from
Marshall Academy, scoring nine and eight points respectively.
Cody Wise of Bowling Green had 10 to lead the South.
The North led 59-49 with 9:15 left before the South staged its comeback.
After four ties, the South took the lead for good on a reverse layup by
Adrian Paschal of Mt. Olive Christian School with 1:29 remaining.
Paschal hit two free throws with 18 seconds left for a 79-76 lead and
Craig Smith of Brookhaven Academy hit one with 5.6 seconds remaining to
clinch the win.
Adrian Carpenter of CM&I led the South with 19 points. Paschal had 16,
South MVP John Bishop of Central Hinds had 12, and Wise finished with 10.
Shaw and Daniel Bandy of West Memphis Christian School both had 14 points
for the North. Adams, the North MVP, finished with 13, while Joe Buck
Peterson of Winston Academy and Sean Merchant of Oak Hill both scored eight.
Blake Bass of Heidelberg Academy had two points, while Allen Byrd of
Leake Academy did not score.
The North assistant coach was Chris McDaniel of Heidelberg Academy.