By Caleb Garner
Special to The Disaptch
STARKVILLE–It is often said that strange things happen on Friday the 13th.
In a game that was called late in the fourth quarter because of a fight, Starkville (15-2, 2-0 MHSAA Class 6A, Region 3) soundly defeated Callaway (13-6, 1-2) 78-53 Friday night at the Bee Hive.
Callaway immediately began to use their size to set the tone for a physical contest, but after a back-and-forth affair in the opening quarter with Callaway leading 14-10, Starkville began to use their size advantage to take control the rest of the way.
The Yellow Jackets went on a 23-3 run to end the first half and hold a commanding 41-22 halftime lead. Starkville head coach Greg Carter attributed the success to lockdown defensive play and offensive execution.
“The game was moving at such a slow pace for a long time,” Carter said. “Once that second quarter hit and we got on that spurt, we just got going. It was like everything we did worked. Everything we ran worked. It all started with our defensive rebounding. We really locked into them and played really well defensively.”
How physical was the meeting between these two top-10 foes? The two teams combined for over 50 fouls before the game was called with 2:33 remaining in the game due to the physical altercation that originated at the end of the Callaway bench before extending into the stands. Included in those 50-plus fouls were seven technical fouls, most of which occurred in the first half.
Carter said he knew the Chargers like to play physical, but that his team’s depth in the post enabled the Yellow Jackets to stay physical despite early foul trouble.
“(Callaway) likes a physical game and we don’t mind a physical game,” Carter said. “You have to know how to play in a physical game without fouling. We got into a little foul trouble, but we had enough guys to keep putting them out there. That made the difference because they did not have as many as we did.”
That stellar inside play was led by senior Markedric Bell, who led the Yellow Jackets with 16 points–12 of which came in the second quarter during the 23-3 run. Bell also had a putback dunk with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter that ignited the home crowd. Carter was pleased with Bell’s ability to step in and contribute off the bench.
“(Bell) really stepped up big,” Carter said. “Not just defensively, but he scored tonight. It has been a while since he had a big scoring game like that.”
Bell was not the only post player who made his presence felt in the marquee victory against the Chargers. Fellow seniors Darrious Agnew and Jesse Little added 14 and seven points, respectively. Little, who was recently selected to play in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game in March, used his versatility to rebound as well as block and alter a number of shots.
Little said his team’s mindset for each game is to use their height and length to create mismatches inside to open up the guards for jumpers.
“We go into every game knowing that we can dominate in the post” Little said. “We are the tallest team in the state, so we know that we have to use that to our advantage and open things up for the guards on the outside as well.”
Carter noted that Little has developed tremendously since beginning his high school basketball career at Starkville and has become more versatile.
“(Little) has continued to grow as a player,” Carter said. “When he first got here, all he really wanted to do was shoot jump shots. His game is so well-rounded now. He is probably not the biggest or strongest guy, and he probably never will be, but he never backs down.
In the opener, the second-ranked Starkville girls moved to 17-0 overall and 2-0 in region play with a 75-25 win.
Junior Tabreea Gandy led with a game-high 21 points, while recent McDonald’s All-American nominee Kelsey Jones added 13 points.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.