The game drew the largest crowd for the Bay High venue of the season with over 500 fans viewing the action following the completion of first semester exams for both schools that broke for the Christmas break earlier in the day.
The game also had a bigger meaning to the community as both teams honored the fallen officers - Steven Robin and Branden Estorffe - who were laid to rest in Bay St. Louis following an emotional visitation and procession through the city on Wednesday, December 21.
The teams wore matching shooting shirts emblazoned with the badge numbers of the fallen officers. Prior to the start of the varsity girls’ game, Bay St. Louis City Councilman Jeff Reed led the fans in a community prayer. There was also a 24-second and 35-second moment of silence counted down on the scoreboard in honor of the two fallen officer’s badge numbers.
Donations were collected at the entrance of the gymnasium for the Fallen Officers Fund started by the South Mississippi Planning and Development District. The donations collected totaled $3,068 and will be given to the fund in the names of both high schools.
In the girls’ game, the #3-ranked Lady Hawks (16-0) seemed to do everything right in the first half while the Lady Tigers (8-7) could not buy a basket as Hancock held a commanding 31-2 lead at intermission.
However, the Lady Tigers surged in the second half and attacked the rim and paint with a relentless attitude. Bay High outscored the Lady Hawks 27-16 in the second half as the final tally ended up 47-29 in favor of the Lady Hawks.
Hancock head coach Jamie Sisco commented, “In the first half, we played as well as we have played all season. Sometimes when a team gets a big lead over an opponent, it becomes hard to maintain the intensity. In the second half, Bay High attacked the basket, and we did not match their intensity. Bay High shot 21 free throws in the second half alone and they were able to convert many of them. We have to be able to match the opponent’s intensity no matter what the score is to be able to advance.”
The Lady Hawks were paced by Anslee James who scored 13 points in the game followed by Talana Bond with 11 points.
Lady Tigers head coach Kelton Thompson stated, “The first half was a perfect example of when discipline and toughness runs into a lack of discipline and toughness. Hancock is a very well coached team, and they play like a top ranked team in the state. I was very disappointed in the first half. The normal attitude is one would be proud of how the second half was played and our surge but that is how I expect us to play all the time. We have to learn how to play 32 minutes of basketball. Quality teams do not play 31 minutes of basketball.”
The Lady Tigers were led by Kiara Burney and Emmalee Coote with 9 points each.
In the boys’ game, the Tigers came out firing on all pistons in the first period taking a 13-7 lead but relented in the second period as the Hawks surged forward for a 20-15 lead at intermission.
In the third period, the Hawks maintained a slim 30-29 lead going into the fourth period.
The Tigers enjoyed as much as a 6-point lead until the final 38 seconds when Donte Taylor sank a three-pointer for Hancock to knot the score at 36-36.
In the overtime period, the Hawks outscored the Tigers 8-4 with Taylor scoring six of the points.
Hancock head coach Colin Goley stated, “Donte Taylor has not been with us all season as he plays football. He is beginning to come around on the basketball court and show what he is capable of doing. He carried us at the end of the game. Last year this game was not even close, but I warned our team prior to the game that this is not the same team they played last year. This was a rival game surrounded by a large crowd and an emotional ceremony. Bay High is a well-coached team. We weathered the storm they took to us and in the end, the ball bounced our way.”
Hancock (11-9) was led by Taylor with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Thompson talked about his Tigers, “Late in the game, we are up by three and are at the line, but we miss the front end of the charity shot. Hancock is a team that resembles the hard work of their coach. They are a dangerous team that can score a lot of points. For us to hold them to 44 points is what we needed to do. We were able to get more out of ourselves in this game. We were able to create... Click here to read full article
ARTICLE SOURCE:
