Perfection would be an assist on every basket.
Glenn Schmidt has been coaching long enough to know that’s probably not going to happen, but that hasn’t stopped the Starkville Academy girls basketball team from insisting her players look to make one more pass.
Anna Prestridge and the Lady Volunteers are doing their best to heed Schmidt’s words.
And while it’s tough to improve on a 72-point effort, Starkville Academy showed again Friday it is tough to beat when it is playing together.
Anna Lea Little had 12 points, and Nora Kathryn Carroll added 11 to push Starkville Academy past Hillcrest Christian 51-36 in the semifinals of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II tournament at Heritage Academy.
Tiffany Huddleston and Sallie Kate Richardson each had eight points, while Prestridge, the team’s senior point guard, had five assists and four points to help the Lady Volunteers improve to 31-5.
“We have so many scoring threats this year that anybody can make a basket,” Prestridge said. “Passing the ball and getting get good looks and moving the ball well is one of our goals.”
With the victory, Starkville Academy advances to the tournament’s title game at 2:15 today against East Rankin Academy, which defeated Copiah Academy 45-37. Copiah Academy and Hillcrest Christian will play in the overall state tournament next week at East Rankin Academy. The tournament pairings will be announced Sunday morning.
Starkville Academy needed about four minutes at the start to adjust to Hillcrest Christian’s attempt to spread the floor. The strategy worked to the tune of two layups, but the Lady Volunteers switched defenses, picked up the pace, and were never challenged. They led by 15 at the end of the first quarter and 27-11 at halftime. The lead grew to 40-19 at the end of the third quarter before Hillcrest Christian closed to 42-30 with 3 minutes, 2 seconds remaining. That was as close as Starkville Academy allowed, as Huddleston had a jump shot off a pass from Prestridge, Little scored on a layup from Carroll, and Little hit a 3-pointer from Prestridge.
Schmidt encouraged her players to slow down and to look for each other with one more pass following a 35-33 loss to Jackson Academy. She said the team had trouble scoring in the fourth quarter of that game, but she has been pleased with the results since then, as evidenced by a 72-point showing in the first round of the tournament.
“We were kind of trying to promote one more pass,” Schmidt said. “There might be a game where we just have to get up and go. We will just wait and see.”
Schmidt can feel a little relaxed in that she has multiple players who can take the scoring lead. Against Magnolia Heights on Wednesday, Little, a sophomore, led the way with 25 points, while Richardson added 21.
On Friday, Carroll, another sophomore who had just two points in the first game, reached double digits and was more active on offense. Richardson also was a terror on the boards with 11. Starkville Academy had 18 offensive rebounds and handed out 12 assists, which shows it is trying its best to implement Schmidt’s style of play. She said there is nothing elaborate about her approach. She feels one more pass will force her players to take their time, to get their feet under them, and to be in better position to get offensive rebounds. The end result benefits everyone.
“We have a leading scorer and a leading rebounder, but it is different people every game, pretty much, who end up doing it,” Schmidt said. “I don’t think they really care who does it as long as it gets done. That is what has been good for us this year and last year and ever since these kids have been playing. It is kind of all for one and one for all. They’re unselfish.”
The strategy worked perfectly Friday, so Prestridge said the Lady Volunteers will try again today.
“We have been practicing a lot taking our time and not forcing the pass because the next time might be more open,” said Prestridge, who admits it has been tough at times to be more patient. “We like to play fast-paced and we like fast breaks. When defenses stop that, we have to slow down and run our offense.
“We’re really unselfish. As long as we get the win, that’s all that matters. I think we’re all unselfish people and we like to play together as a team.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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