JACKSON — Starkville High School senior Tanita Thompson made it through the handshake line and spoke to a couple of family members.
Thompson then returned to the locker room area of the Mississippi Coliseum and couldn’t holder her emotions in check any longer.
Thompson had done all she could and wasn’t the only Lady Jacket who could say that. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough, as Murrah made a few more plays down the stretch to escape with a 44-42 victory in the semifinals of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A State tournament.
“I love these girls to death,” Starkville senior Eryka Williams said. “I wouldn’t trade them for anybody else in this world. To watch how far we have come and to see how far we have grown, it makes me proud. My time is done here, but they will continue to have chances like this.”
Starkville (26-3) saw a 13-game winning streak snapped. Murrah (28-3) will face Jackson Public Schools rival Callaway (23-9) Saturday for the state championship.
A year ago, Starkville lost 60-39 to Horn Lake in the semifinals. Starkville could take solace that a great season had a bad ending. Wednesday was far different. It was gut-wrenching and heart-breaking all at once.
“The emotions are deep after a game like that,” Starkville coach Kristie Williams said. “You just have to play really well and we didn’t play really well. It was a game with so many ebbs and flows. You are in control and then you are not. It really hurts because you know the time the girls invested.
“You feel like you were one of the best teams here. Now it’s just a matter of getting past this stage. We will load up and try again next year.”
On a stage where the lights burn the brightest. Starkville Dandy Dozen junior Kelsey Jones didn’t disappoint. Jones had 17 points and 18 rebounds and played aggressive defensive without fouling.
Starkville had a huge advantage in the paint (48-32 rebounding advantage), but it committed 19 turnovers and was 8 of 21 from the free-throw line.
“We just kept believing,” Murrah senior Melissa Creese said. “That is what we have done all year. When things aren’t going well, we keep believing. The main thing is we just tried to do the things we are pretty good at. When you play in this tournament, you just have to find a way.”
Throughout a dominating postseason run, Starkville had always found that one run necessary for separation. On this day, that run never came. Murrah never led by more than four and Starkville never led by more than five.
“You can’t miss the free throw we missed,” Kristie Williams said. “You really can’t attribute that to playing in this building because we have done that. We have played games here. We have had that experience. Most of the turnovers were unforced, too. That is what makes this difficult.”
While Jones turned in a near-perfect performance inside, she had help.
Eryka Williams scored 22 points in a quarterfinal victory against Jim Hill. On Wednesday, she was held scoreless in the first half. In the second half, she came through with back-to-back 3-pointers to give Starkville a 35-33 lead with 6 minutes, 19 seconds left.
Thompson also had a dominant fourth-quarter performance, which included a blocked shot, three-straight defensive rebounds, and an and-one to help expand the lead.
The block led to a fast-break layup by Jones and a 40-35 lead. Murrah, which shot 28.1 percent from the field, was in a stretch of eight-straight missed shots.
“We couldn’t get that one finishing punch,” Kristie Williams said.
Instead, Murrah closed within 41-40 on a putback by Regina Sampson. Creese then had a game-altering steal out a trapping defense. Her basket with 32 seconds left gave Murrah a 42-41 lead.
Starkville didn’t have a field goal in the final 3:06. The Mustangs stretched the lead when Creese hit two free throws in the final seconds.
“Any game in the coliseum is going to be a battle,” Murrah coach Tangela Banks said. “We were down five and didn’t get discouraged. The pressure really helped because we had some key steals there when we needed them the most.”
Nya Irvin led Murrah with 13 points. Jamaica Almonds and Creese added 11.
Eryka Williams had eight points for the Lady Jackets. Thompson had seven points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots.
“We did the very best we could,” Eryka Williams said. “It’s sad knowing I won’t get to play again in high school. We put a lot hard work in. It is satisfying to know (the seniors) have helped make this program what it is.
“Coach (Williams) really pushed us. She gave us a reason to work hard and showed us our potential.”
The Starkville senior class finished with 69 victories in the last three seasons. A year ago, Starkville advanced to coliseum for the first time since the 1992 squad won the state championship.
Kristie Williams said getting back to Jackson last season was a huge hurdle for her program to overcome. Now the hurdle appears equally large to take the next step and play for a championship.
“We love our seniors (Eryka Williams, Timber Halbert, Shannon Tate, Alexis Logan, and Thompson),” Kristie Williams said. “They learned what all is out there. They played the game the right way and really represented the school with class and dignity. Pretty proud of them. This hurts right now. However, overall, it has been an incredible experience.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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