Neither Columbia basketball team had a particularly good time at the East Marion Holiday Classic last week, but the Wildcats did manage to end it on a high note with a victory.
The Wildcats (3-9) started off the tournament great, leading East Marion Dec. 21 by seven points going into halftime as Lucious Prejean had 11 points and drilled three 3-pointers before intermission. But the Eagles rallied in the second half and outscored Columbia 36-24 to defeat the Wildcats 49-44.
Two days later, though, the Wildcats didn’t let their early lead slip away and beat Jeff Davis County 67-61. While full stats were unavailable by press time, Prejean’s performance across the two games earned him a spot on the all-tournament team.
The Lady Wildcats (1-12) played a very similar game against East Marion, grabbing an early lead then faltering down the stretch to lose 42-32.
“I thought we came out in the first quarter and executed like we wanted to, and that got us the lead. But we just couldn’t maintain that intensity,” head coach Charlie James said. “Down the stretch, East was able to execute a little more offensively. My girls are playing hard and trying to react, but with the inexperience and things like that, we’re just not following through with the consistency we need for a full game.”
In the consolation game, the story was much of the same as the Lady Wildcats fell 51-39 to Jeff Davis County.
For the past five years, the Lady Wildcats have always had a go-to scorer that could break them out of slumps, from Tyra Conerly to Christina James and Jasmine Sheppard. But right now, they don’t have a consistent offensive force like that. Coach James said the offense looks good in spurts, but not having that offensive hub is Columbia’s Achilles heel.
“That consistency, when you need to make a play, we’re just not able to get through those segments of games. Once we are able to execute when the heat and pressure is on and it’s time to make a play, we’ll be OK,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but you just have to keep pushing. I keep telling them if (they) keep doing what (they’re) doing, they will see the benefits of it.”
Columbia isn’t lacking in talent and has players who could ultimately fill that role, but center Payshunce Sims, who was named to the all-tournament team, is just a sophomore and point guard Jakira Brown is a freshman. As they mature and gain more game experience, both have the talent to grow into a role like that.
The Lady Wildcats played one district game in mid-December, a 50-33 loss to Forrest County AHS, and will close the regular season with nine consecutive district contests. James said the district looks pretty good, especially with Purvis at 17-1, and Columbia is going to need to bring its A-game every game out.
Both Columbia squads will return to the floor Jan. 4 at home against Poplarville.
Wildcats head coach Jordan Dupuy could not be reached for comment.
