STARKVILLE — The Starkville Academy basketball teams used strong efforts on both ends of the floor and balanced scoring Tuesday night to sweep a doubleheader from Winston Academy in Mississippi Association of Independent Association (MAIS) Class AAA, Region 2 action.
In the girls game, Mary Peyton Passons had a team-high 13 points and six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 39-26 victory.
In the boys game, Trey Tyler had 18 points to lead four players in double figures in a 75-47 victory.
The Volunteers, who played without senior Raegan Richardson, were 9-for-25 from 3-point range. Tyler, Taylor Ray (14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals), Noah Methvin (12 points), and Cameron Roby (seven points, four rebounds) had two 3-pointers.
In the opening game, Passons hit a 3-pointer to give the Lady Volunteers (16-10, 6-1 district) a 15-11 halftime lead. Starkville extended that advantage in the third quarter thanks to an aggressive defense. The Lady Volunteers also hit three 3-pointers, including two by Rush Brown (10 points, four rebounds), to gain separation.
Brown’s ability to shoot forced Winston Academy to guard the perimeter and opened driving lanes in the paint. Those lanes seemed to open up extremely well for Passons. After her 3-pointer to end the first half, she had eight of Starkville Academy’s last 11 points, including two more 3-pointers.
“We expect so much out of her scoring wise,” Starkville Academy coach Bruce Allsup said. “She is an offensive threat, whether she is driving or being a great 3-point shooter.”
Lillee Alpe added seven points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Aubree Campbell had five points, five rebounds, and four steals.
In the boys game, Tyler (seven points) and Ray (six) combined to score the team’s first 13 points. A 24-11 second quarter enabled the Volunteers (14-5, 4-2) to build a 39-19 halftime lead.
Ray, a sophomore, took the place of Raegan Richardson in the starting lineup.
In the second quarter, Brady Richardson (15 points, four rebounds, eight assists, four steals) had 11 points, including a steal, a putback, and a score and an and-one over a taller defender.
The Volunteers led by 27 at the end of the third quarter and cruised to the victory.
While Tyler led the team in scoring, Ray’s performance was a topic of conversation after the game. Senior Noah Methvin (12 points) praised his teammate’s poise and persistence.
On Thursday, Starkville Academy will return to action against Leake Academy. The boys team lost by 18 points in the first meeting. The girls team will face one of the state’s most dominant programs.
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