Lady Jackets look for strong effort on road

February 12, 2012

Starkville girls coach Kristie Williams, right, hopes her team can keep its season alive with a win at Center Hill tonight. (Photo by Kim Murrell, SDN)

The Starkville Lady Yellowjackets are looking for the right team to show up in extreme North Mississippi when the North Class 5A Tournament begins tonight.

It looked like two totally different SHS teams Thursday and Friday at the Region 3, District 4 Tournament at Neshoba Central.

After defeating the host school Neshoba Central 58-55 in double overtime Thursday, the Lady Jackets struggled to get that same intensity going in the championship by dropping a 56-33 decision to Canton Friday.

Starkville coach Kristie Williams said her squad is trying to regroup for the 6 p.m. tip at Center Hill. The early tip will allow the team to return home at a decent hour on a school night.

It will be the third game in five days for the Lady Jackets.

"The energy level (against Neshoba Central) was so high then by the time we turned around 24 hours later, it was like there was no gas left in the tank," Williams said. "We took Saturday to try to refuel the body and we went hard Sunday.

"We put our gameplan together and hopefully we'll come back (tonight) and say we're moving on to the next round of the North State."

Williams has been on a fact finding mission concerning Center Hill the last couple of days, calling people who might know something about the next opponent.

Regardless of what she finds out, Williams knows Starkville has to be ready to face a playoff-caliber opponent.

"If they make it this far, you have to know they are doing something well enough to continue on as well," Williams said. "They do have a go-to player. If we can just find out the basics, hopefully we can formulate a game around that."

The Lady Jackets take a 13-12 record into the outing.