The Winona boys basketball team won two of three games last week, with victories over Amanda Elzy 60-54 and East Webster 52-45. The loss was to Coahoma Early College 103-25.
The win over Amanda Elzy and loss to Coahoma left the Tigers tied for second in Region 3-3A with a 2-2 record. “I really think we have a great shot at getting second,” said Coach Presley Coleman.
The girls team split two games, with a 31-25 win over Coahoma and a 39-21 loss to Amanda Elzy.
Against Amanda Elzy, the Tigers fell behind 5-0. “I called a quick time out. After that we took off,” Coleman said. “I emphasized that we had to play harder.”
His players responded. Winona led by double digits for most of the second half until Jalen Daniels fouled out in the fourth quarter. “That put us down a ball handler. But we were able to hold on for the win,” Coleman said.
The Tigers shot 56 percent (23 of 41), led by Clifford Lee with 18 points on eight of 11 shooting. In a strong all-around performance, Lee also had six rebounds, six steals, four blocks and two assists.
Kaleb Rush had 11 points, Daniels and Jaiwain Small 10 each.
Winona played East Webster in the Mid-Mississippi Challenge at Choctaw County.
“We came out a little sluggish,” Coleman said. He attributed it to an 11 a.m. tipoff after the Coahoma game the previous evening.
Reid Gatlin had five 3-pointers for East Webster in the first half. The Tigers switched to a diamond-and-one defense in the second half, with Dennis Turner shadowing Gatlin, who managed only three points after intermission.
Rush had a game high 24 points.
The Tigers were never in the game against Coahoma.
“We came out flat,” Coleman said.
Coahoma had six players in double figures, led by Willie Eagins with 20 points. Lee led the Tigers with nine points.
Coahoma leads the region with a 4-0 record prior to Tuesday games, and was ranked second in the state among 3A teams with a 19-1 record. Both Winona losses have been against Coahoma.
“Our goal is to get a top three spot in our district,” Coleman said. That would assure the Tigers a spot in the 3A playoffs.
Girls
Tyra Weathersby was the Lady Tigers leading scorer with more than half of the team’s points in both games. She had 17 in the win over Coahoma and 11 in the loss to Amanda Elzy.
Coahoma cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but Winona held on for the win, improving to 1-3 in the region.
Amanda Elzy led Winona by double digits throughout the second half. “We just couldn’t score enough points, bottom line,” said Coach Frank Miller.
Offense has been a problem throughout the season, with little support for Weathersby, the team’s only senior. “We just have to find somebody to take up the slack,” Miller said.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers had a region game with Humphreys County Tuesday and play at Eupora Friday in a non-region game.
Humphreys County will host the region tournament beginning Feb. 11. The top four teams from the tournament qualify for the 3A playoffs, with the top two getting home court in the opening round. Playoffs begin Feb. 17 for girls and Feb. 18 for boys.
