The Wildcats’ chances of claiming the Region 8-3A regular season title dropped significantly after a pair of road losses Jan. 15 and Jan. 18 against Tylertown and Seminary, but Columbia (10-13, 5-2) righted the ship last week and still have a chance to come out on top.
Tylertown is still ahead of the pack at 6-1 in district play, and Seminary is holding onto the second spot at 5-2, but the Wildcats are right back in it after blowing out West Marion and winning an overtime thriller over Jefferson Davis County. Columbia is tied with Seminary at 5-2, but Seminary currently holds the tiebreaker due to the head-to-head contest.
However, Columbia and Seminary are scheduled to play Feb. 5 at Columbia in the regular season finale. The Wildcats control their own destiny when it comes to the second seed if they are able to win their final three games, but they will need a little help to claim the top spot.
With a one-game lead in the standings, plus the head-to-head tiebreaker, Tylertown currently has a stranglehold on the top spot. But if the Wildcats do run the table, beating Tylertown in the process, they would need to have the edge in point differential if they both finish 8-2. If Tylertown were to stumble against either Jeff Davis, who beat the Chiefs Jan. 18, or Seminary, Columbia could claim No. 1 outright.
“It’s going to come down to the last few games,” Columbia head coach Charlie James said. “If we can take care of our business, then I think we have a good shot. We need someone to be able to knock off Tylertown one time, and if we’re able to get Tylertown the second time out we’ll be in good shape.”
The Wildcats began to improve their standing in Region 8-3A at West Marion Jan. 22 with a dominant, all-around performance leading to a 65-27 victory.
The Wildcats didn’t need TJ Monroe’s prolific scoring to get the job done because he set the table for his teammates so well. He still had a game-high 12 points, but he added eight rebounds, six assists and five steals to dominate from end to end. Darius Stewart was all over the court as well with 10 points and five steals, Kentrel Bullocks added nine points and Tykelvis Wright controlled the paint with eight points and a career-high six blocks. Jaheim Oatis added seven points, six boards and two blocks, and Josh Brown contributed two steals.
The momentum didn’t carry over to the Wildcats’ home court Friday night, though, against Jeff Davis. Columbia got in foul trouble early in the game, and it reflected on the scoreboard with a nine-point deficit at halftime. But the Wildcats battled back in the second half to send the game to overtime, where they controlled the game to steal a 69-63 victory.
James said the way the Wildcats scratched and clawed their way back into the game was impressive.
“We were down nine at halftime and by three going into the fourth quarter, and we just continued to fight,” he said. “We were able and fortunate enough to send it overtime, and once we got to overtime we got a couple of runouts and built a lead. We were able to hold them off. The most encouraging thing from the game was just how hard we fought with a never-quit mentality.”
James said it was a huge win for the Wildcats, and there were several players who elevated their game in clutch moments
“Darius Stewart really stepped up to play a great game for us, and he finished with 14 points, rebounded the ball well and played really good for us defensively. TJ finished with 32 and played exceptionally well. TK, Tykelvis Wright, came off the bench and played well for us. Josh Brown set the tone for us defensively, and we just kind of weathered the storm,” he said.
Monroe’s performance was one of the best of his illustrious career, scoring 32 points on just 18 shots (72 percent from the field) and draining 5-of-8 three-pointers while collecting three assists, three steals and two blocks. While Brown only scored two points, he flew around the court and finished with five assists and three steals.
The Wildcats were scheduled to play Wesson on the road Tuesday night, but it was postponed until Monday. They will host Tylertown Friday night in perhaps the most important game of the season before concluding the regular season Tuesday at home against Seminary.
Columbia’s potential success to close the regular season will begin and end with grinding defensively, according to James.
“We have to get stops and be able to take advantage of what the teams give us. If we can get our inside and out game going, we can have some success,” he said. “The most important thing is to be patient and take what the defense allows us while playing hard-nosed defense.”
Pictured Above: Columbia's TJ Monroe takes a half-court shot at the end of the first half against West Marion Jan. 22. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
