BY WILL NATIONS
Special to The Dispatch
JACKSON – The Columbus Lady Falcons’ sluggish start and gravity of the situation was too much to overcome despite a furious fourth-quarter rally.
St. Martin’s Savannah Jones scored a game-high 36 points, and the Lady Jackets stayed off the Lady Falcons, who made the program’s first appearance in the state tournament, for a 67-56 win in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class-6A quarterfinals Saturday night at Jackson State University.
“It was a big accomplishment for this program to get to this point,” Lady Falcon Head Coach Yvonne Hairston said. “We felt, though, we could’ve won the whole tournament. My girls played hard, and we made mistakes on the floor that might be chalked up to inexperience or excitement. They did what they were supposed to do and hats off to St. Martin.”
The Lady Jackets (28-2) play the Callaway Lady Chargers at 12 p.m. in the MHSAA Class-6A semifinals Wednesday at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.
Jones made 8 of 13 field goals, including a 2-of-4 performance from 3-point land, and converted 18 of 21 free-throw attempts. Daphne White had 12 points, 13 rebounds and nine blocks. Deona Morgan added 11 points.
“(Jones) does this every night,” St. Martin Head Coach Gina Bell said. “We ride her back, and she can shoot the lights out in any gym.”
Columbus (16-7) placed four starters in double-figure scoring against a stout Lady Jacket defense. Zaria Jenkins led the group with 16 points. Kayla Rogers scored 13, Jasmine Johnson netted 12 and Rokila Wallace scored 11. As an offense, the Lady Falcons made 30 percent of its shots – 20 percent less than St. Martin.
Trailing 52-29 after the third quarter, Columbus scored the fourth’s first nine points in the first minute, closing its deficit to 14. Both teams exchanged baskets before Johnson’s two free throws and Rogers’ lay-up cut the Lady Jackets’ lead to 54-42 at the 4:19 mark. St. Martin pulled away for good and was bolstered by a 9-of-14 performance at the free-throw line. Columbus did not cut the deficit less than eight points in the final two minutes, 41 seconds.
“I thought we had the energy to complete the comeback, but when you are down here we couldn’t get any calls to go are way,” Hairston said.
The feverish comeback was a far cry from the opening minutes for Columbus, which could be described as nightmarish. The Lady Jackets raced to a 9-0 start in the first three minutes of the first. Then, the Lady Falcons’ answer did not come until the 4:23 mark. St. Martin carried a 17-9 advantage into the second.
“The girls were very nervous before the game,” Bell said. “This atmosphere was not familiar. The 9-0 run calmed everybody down, and we realized we could do this.”
St. Martin continued to press the issue before the intermission. The Lady Jackets outscored the Lady Falcons by two points for a 32-22 lead at halftime. Jones scored 13 in the first 16 minutes; while Columbus’ Jenkins and Wallace had seven apiece.
Out of the locker room, Jones manufactured a personal 8-0 run with a driving lay-up and pair of 3-pointers. The senior’s effort led to the Lady Jackets leading 44-22 with five minutes, 16 seconds left in the third. Columbus clawed at the lead, but they trailed St. Martin by double digits before the final period.
“We came out of the locker room, and we played our ball game,” Bell said.
Columbus loses four seniors from the 2015-16 team. Holly Westbrook, Johnson, Rogers and Wallace helped the program accomplish a first and planted a seed for future successes under Hairston.
“I told our senior girls that they represented Columbus really well,” Hairston said. “This group gave me an opportunity that I have never had in my coaching career. They gave me the chance to play in a state tournament. I challenged my underclassmen to get us back to ‘Big House.’ I am looking forward to the opportunity of next season.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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