MADISON — The Starkville High School basketball team earned some well-deserved time off.
Victories Friday night in the championship games of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 3 tournament at Madison Central High paved the way for the Starkville girls and boys to earn a first-round bye in the Class 6A North State tournament.
In the girls game, Jalisa Outlaw had 20 points to lead Starkville (20-3) to a 51-35 victory against Jackson Murrah. Amaria Strong had 14 points for the Lady Yellow Jackets.
In the boys game, Zeke Cook had 20 points to power Starkville to a 67-60 victory against Jackson Murrah. Tyler Talley added 12 points for the Yellow Jackets.
· Columbus girls fall in title game; boys win: At Tupelo, Hannah White had 24 points Friday night, but the Columbus High School girls lost to Tupelo 53-49 in the championship game of the Class 6A, Region 2 tournament.
Columbus defeated Tupelo twice in the regular season.
Columbus will play host to Southaven in the first round of the Class 6A North State tournament.
In the boys game, Blake Burnett hit 1 of 2 free throws with about eight seconds remaining to lift Columbus to a 53-52 victory against South Panola.
The win, which clinched a playoff spot for the Falcons, was the first in the postseason for first-year head coach Phillip Morris.
Greg King added nine points for Columbus.
· Pontotoc 54, Caledonia 33: At Fulton, the Warriors won the Class 4A, Region 2 championship Friday night at the Itawamba Community College Davis Event Center.
Caledonia (24-7) will play host to Corinth in the first round of the Class 4A North State playoffs on Tuesday.
· New Hope fell to Kosciusko, 66-64, Saturday in the consolation game of the regional.
On Thursday, the New Hope boys lost to Louisville 93-88 in double overtime. R.L. Mattix had 25 points, while Krash Pascasio had 21 and Caleb Parr added 13.
· West Lowndes 84, Hamilton 47: At Columbus, the Panthers won the championship of the Class 1A Region 5 tournament on their home floor Friday night.
West Lowndes secured a chance to play at home in the first round of the Class 1A South State tournament.
· Heritage Academy 70, Leake Academy 50: At Columbus, in the championship game of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA North State tournament. Jared Long led the Patriots with 18 points, while Moak Griffin (14) and Eli Acker (10) also scored in double figures.
· On Friday, Heritage Academy defeated Canton Academy 58-39. The Patriots played without junior center Eli Acker, who was out with the flu.
Moak Griffin led Heritage Academy with 24 points. Jared Long had 10, while Cameron Bell had nine and Carter Putt had six.
· On Friday, the Columbus Christian Academy boys lost to West Memphis Academy 57-52 in the semifinals of the Class A North State tournament.
· On Thursday, CCA earned a 69-54 victory to secure a spot in the Class A State tournament. Lawson Studdard led the way with 19 points. Dakota Shaw had 14 points and Peal had 13. Isaiah Cooper and Emerson had six points for the Rams (19-9).
· In other action, the West Point High boys beat Lafayette 47-27 to earn the No. 3 seed from Class 5A, Region 1.
· Tabernacle Christian School 77, Victory Christian Academy 72 in the semifinals of the Division I Alabama Christian Athletic Association on Friday. Andrew Bishop led Victory Christian with 20 points, while Solomon Hill chipped in 18, Michael Tate, 12, and Kenny Colier, 10.
· On Thursday, Victory Christian Academy defeated First Assembly Christian 63-42. Andrew Bishop had 14 points. Solomon Hill had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocked shots. Dallas Colom had 10 points.
Girls
· Lafayette 62, West Point 46: At West Point, the Lady Commodores won the Class 5A, Region 2 championship on Friday night.
West Point will play host to Lake Cormorant in the first round of the Class 5A North State tournament on Monday.
· Louisville 64, New Hope 33: At Carthage, the Lady Wildcats won the Class 4A, Region 4 championship on Friday night.
New Hope will play host to a first-round Class 4A North State playoff game Monday night.
· On Thursday, New Hope edged Leake Central 45-43. Juquala Sherrod had 13 points, Reed McGlothin and India Woods had 10, and Anna Prince had nine.
· Columbus Christian Academy 54, Humphreys Academy 31: On Saturday, in the Class A North State consolation game. Kylee Emerson led CCA with 25 points, while Charity Yeates and Cayden Harding both scored 8, and Celia Peal added 5.
· On Friday, CCA lost to Marvell Academy 57-29 in the semifinals of the Class A North State tournament.
· On Thursday, CCA earned a 50-36 victory to clinch a spot in the Class A tournament.
Celia Peal had 20 points. Kylee Emerson had seven. Audrey Foreman had eight points and five rebounds, while Charity Yeates had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Rams (18-12).
· On Friday, Leake Academy beat Starkville Academy 66-35 in the semifinals. Mary Peyton Passons had eight points to lead the Lady Volunteers.
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