The Winona boys and girls basketball teams both split four games last week, with two wins and a loss at the J. Z. George Tournament and a loss to Choctaw County. The Tigers and Lady Tigers defeated Ethel and J.Z. George and lost to Kosciusko during the tournament.
In the boys final game for the week, J.Z. George rallied from a double digit deficit to tie the score in the fourth period before Winona pulled away for the victory 77-70.
“We made key plays and free throws,” said Coach Presley Coleman. “It was a good team win with many players contributing.”
The Tigers had four players in double figures. Jalen Daniels wound up a strong week with 26 points. Sean Merritt had 14 points, Dakarrian Crawford 13 and Jacob Mann 12.
The Tigers fell behind Ethel 19-5 after one quarter, cut the deficit to 32-26 at the half, took the lead by outscoring Ethel 16-7 in the third quarter and went on to a 62-56 victory.
Daniels was 8 of 12 from the floor, scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds. Merritt had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Choctaw County outscored Winona 18-4 in the second quarter for a 36-17 halftime lead on its way to a 64-46 victory. Daniels had 19 points and nine rebounds. Jared Bellew scored 24 points and Trey Jobe 20 for Choctaw County.
Daniels had 15 points and eight rebounds in an 87-47 loss to Kosciusko. It was 40-31 at the half before Kosciusko broke the game open by outscoring the Tigers 31-9 in the third quarter.
Nine players from the Winona football team have joined the basketball team following the Tigers’ 46-41 loss to Seminary in the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs.
“It will take time to get them into basketball mode,” Coleman said.
Girls
After losses to Choctaw County 38-16 and Kosciusko 44-37, the Lady Tigers defeated Ethel 55-52 in overtime and J.Z. George 51-22.
Winona trailed Ethel by four points in overtime. Tommesha Brown pulled the Lady Tigers within a point with a big 3-point basket and Winona hit key free throws down the stretch for the win. Brown and MyCala Helms each scored 13 points. Brown had five of the team’s eight points during the extra period.
Helms had 13 points, Brown and Tyra Weathersby eight each in a 51-22 win over J.Z. George. “We got ahead of them and that made it easy for us,” said Coach Frank Miller.
Helms and Airiyonna Topps had six points each against Choctaw County, a 38-16 loss. Helms led the Lady Tigers against Kosciusko with 19 points in a 44-37 defeat.
Kosciusko led the whole way after taking a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. “We just couldn’t catch up,” Miller said.
After Thanksgiving week off, the Tigers and Lady Tigers return to action next week with a road game against Water Valley Tuesday and a home game Friday with Charleston.
