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SPORTS EDITOR Adam Minichino: 327-1297 TOLL FREE SPORTS LINE Mississippi: 662-241-5000 Alabama: 888-477-1555

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THE DISPATCH s CDISPATCH.COM s SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Bost finds stroke

Alabama rallies past Arkansas

Sophomore guard nets career-high 32

BY ADAM MINICHINO aminichino@cdispatch.com

Alabama 73, Arkansas 68

BY JOHN ZENOR The Associated Press TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama started out flat, getting outhustled and outscored by Arkansas.

The roles reversed in the second half.

JaMychal Green and Anthony Brock both hit a pair of free throws in the final 14 seconds to help the Crimson Tide cap a 7368 comeback victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday in a game that left both teams griping

about their lack of intensity at times.

“In the first half we didn’t come out with the passion we needed to against a team the caliber of Arkansas,” Tide coach Anthony Grant said. “The challenge at the half was to come out and show some heart and some pride. I thought that won Rogelio V. Solis/AP

See ALABAMA, 7B

MSU’s Dee Bost (3) hits a shot.

STARKVILLE — It’s a ritual that provided foreshadowing Dee Bost was only too happy to provide.

Mired in a shooting slump the past six MSU 85, games, Bost Auburn 75 has been taking extra shots in practice in an attempt to rediscover his stroke.

After a hot-shooting first half Saturday in which he hit three 3-pointers and scored 14 points, Bost couldn’t help hoist a few more from distance before the start of the second half.

It’s usually a tradition for

players to take one final shot before the halftime horn, and Bost obliged, hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Tempted, he launched another, this time falling back a little as he shot it. The shot fell through with a flick of the wrist.

More than 25 minutes later, Bost was still in rhythm and pushing his team to a clutch victory.

Bost had five of his careerhigh 32 points in overtime to lead MSU to an 85-75 victory against Auburn before a crowd of 8,854 at Humphrey Coliseum.

Bost went 11-for-19 from the field (7-for-12 from 3-point range) and had nine rebounds

‘Talent’ has story to tell to viewers

Rematch critical for MSU Lady Bulldogs can solidify hold on third place in SEC with win

BY ADAM MINICHINO aminichino@cdispatch.com

BY ADAM MINICHINO

STARKVILLE — Technology has changed the way fans get their sports.

From e-mail, to digital images, to high definition television, to the Internet, it’s easier and faster to get any information you need.

The onslaught of gadgets can be imposing for veteran broadcasters who came up without iPods or BlackBerrys, but as much as the devices Dave Baker uses to do his job have changed one thing remains the same: There’s a story to tell.

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

See TALENT, 4B

The monitors in the production truck show the basketball court at Humphrey Coliseum more than an hour before the start of the Mississippi State men’s basketball team’s game against LSU on Jan. 30.

INSIDE

See MSU MEN, 7B

aminichino@cdispatch.com

ductor and traffic cop.

The way they pulled it off with the help of associate director Jil Gossard-Cook and a host of talented crew members who took care of graphics, the clock and score, audio, replays, and everything else was a whirlwind to watch and a treat to enjoy.

Here is some of how the crew for the SEC Network game on ESPN/ESPN

One game isn’t going to make the Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s season.

But another favorable result today like the one the Lady Bulldogs earned Thursday night should go a long way to helping them receive a valuable reward.

Thanks to a 55-53 victory at South Carolina, MSU (16-9, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) jumped from a four-way tie for fifth place to third place in the SEC standings.

The move is significant because the top four teams at the end of the regular season will earn first-round byes for the SEC Tournament on March 4-7 in Duluth, Ga. MSU will try to continue to separate itself from the rest of the pack at 4:25 p.m. today (ESPN2) when it plays host to the University of Mississippi (15-9, 6-5) at Humphrey Coliseum.

The matchup also is a “Think Pink” game to

See BROADCAST, 9B

See MSU WOMEN, 7B

FAST-PACED GAME IN TV TRUCK, TOO From announcers to directors to cameramen, crew works hard to produce quality product

Note: The Editor’s Commercial Dispatch decided to spend Jan. 30 in the production truck and watch n FEBRUARY FRENZY: Cara Capuano, left, teamed how the crew that worked the LSU-Mississippi State with Robin Muller to men’s basketball game put broadcast the MSU women’s basketball team’s together the final product game Jan. 10. Capuano will some people saw on televibe back in Starkville today. sion. Here is a rundown of Page 6B what they did.

BY ADAM MINICHINO

AUTO RACING

COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD

aminichino@cdispatch.com STARKVILLE — If you think the action on the court is fast, try keeping up with Eric Posman and Dave Burchett.

Between waves of the left hand and snapping of the fingers, the producer-director tandem that worked the Jan. 30 LSUMississippi State men’s basketball at Humphrey Coliseum are equal parts con-

Hendrick team picks up where it left off

Tate breaks record in 400

BY JENNA FRYER

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Mississippi State sprinter Tavaris Tate broke a 15-year old school record in the 400-meter indoor dash Friday afternoon at the opening session of the Tyson Invitational.

Tate, a freshman from Starkville, ran 45.80 seconds to

The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR scoring tower never seems to change.

A Hendrick Motorsports sweep, 1-2-3.

That’s how NASCAR’s top team ended last season, and exactly how they opened the first practice of this year.

And when the flag waves on today’s seasonopening Daytona 500, three Hendrick cars will

Bulldogs freshman sprinter eclipsed 15-year-old mark Friday FROM SPECIAL REPORTS

lead the field in NASCAR’s version of the Super Bowl.

Mark Martin, the 51-yearold throwback, will start from the pole in an attempt to snap an 0-for-25 Daytona 500 streak. Dale Earnhardt Jr., the rock star suffering through a confidence-testing slump, shares the front row with his teammate.

Right behind them is Jimmie Johnson, the fourtime defending Cup champion who has given no

Contributed

Mississippi State freshman sprinter Tavaris Tate had a time of 45.80 seconds Friday in the 400-meter indoor dash in the opening session of the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. The effort broke a 15-year-old school record

See DAYTONA, 9B

Credenzas Bookcases Desks

finish second in the event.

“Anytime you break a record that has been in place for that many years is a big thing,” MSU coach Al Schmidt said. “It’s a tremendous thing to have a freshman break a record and be ranked No. 2 in the NCAA and No. 5 in the world.”

Tate has been working hard all season long and believed it would pay off this weekend.

“I’ve been working hard,” Tate said. “I knew coming into this race, I’d be prepared after a tough week of practice. I just went out and did what I’ve been training to

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See TATE, 7B

THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com

2B SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

BRIEFLY

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Local

Flowers, Johnson lead Southern Miss to win

New greens at Elm Lake Elm Lake Golf Course will celebrate its greens restoration project Feb. 28 with a crawfish boil kickoff tournament.

This will be the last day to play the course prior to construction and the temporary greens being utilized.

This spring, Elm Lake Golf Course will begin the reconstruction of its 18 putting greens.

The greens will be dug up, restored, and regrassed. The management of Elm Lake Golf Course is committed to providing its members and daily fee players with the best possible playing conditions in Columbus and the surrounding areas.

The work is an expensive investment, but Elm Lake wants to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone who plays the course.

Construction will begin March 1.

Pending unforeseen weather conditions, we have targeted June 2010 as our time frame to re-open.

Our Web site, www.elmlakegolfcourse.com, will be updated with pictures and the status of the construction.

During construction the driving range will be open and we will set up temporary greens for play. Green fees will be reduced to just $20 while the temporary greens are being utilized.

Construction will be contracted to Raven Golf Construction, Inc. of Jasper, Ala. Raven Golf has been building quality golf courses for more than 17 years. It has built golf courses for Davis Love, Tom Lehman, and Jim Fazio and also built the Payne Stewart Memorial Golf Course.

For more information about the crawfish boil, call the pro shop at 662-329-8964.

MSU Softball team wins twogames STARKVILLE –– Freshman Erin Nesbit went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs in her collegiate debut as the Mississippi State softball team beat UAB 4-0 and Stephen F. Austin 8-0 in the season-opening Bulldog RoundRobin on Saturday.

Nesbit went 3-for-3 and drove in all four runs against UAB. Mississippi State (20) posted two shutouts to open the season for the first time in program history.

Mississippi State plays again today in the Bulldog Round-Robin against Stephen F. Austin at 1 p.m. and UAB at 3 p.m. n Track team sets school records: At Fayetteville, Ark., after a record breaking opening day at the Tyson Invitational, the Mississippi State track and field teams shined again Saturday.

MSU set two school records and had five all-time performances.

Sophomore thrower Favian Cowards started the record breaking with her 59 feet, 1.50 inch throw in the 20pound weight throw to place sixth.

The Lady Bulldog 4x400-meter relay team (Keisha Wallace, LaQuinta Aaron, Taneisha Baker and Brittany Covington) also found out what it feels like to set a school record with their 3 minute, 43.44 second effort.

–– From Special Reports

FROM WIRE REPORTS HATTIESBURG –– Gar y Flowers scored 20 points and Angelo Johnson added 12 more, leading Southern Miss past Rice 66-50 on Saturday.

Flowers was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line for the Golden Eagles, who finished 27-for-33 (81.8 percent). The Owls were just 13-for-23 at the charity stripe (56.5 percent).

Southern Miss (15-9, 5-5 Conference USA) led by three at the break and 38-34 just over 6 minutes into the second half, but went on a game-deciding run from that juncture. The Golden Eagles hit six straight free throws followed by a 3-pointer from Maurice From Wire Reports

Basketball College Scores Saturday’s Scores

Men EAST Adelphi 73, Assumption 71 Albany, N.Y. 75, UMBC 62 Albright 81, Lebanon Valley 77 Allegheny 85, Denison 79 Baldwin-Wallace 86, Muskingum 73 Baruch 69, Lehman 68 Bentley 72, S. New Hampshire 66, OT Bloomsburg 67, West Chester 55 Boston U. 58, Hartford 55 Buffalo 70, Kent St. 55 C.W. Post 81, Dowling 56 Cabrini 91, Marywood 77 Cincinnati 60, Connecticut 48 Clarkson 63, Hamilton 52 Colgate 75, American U. 74, 2OT College of N.J. 73, Kean 63 Columbia 66, Penn 62 Cornell 48, Princeton 45 DeSales 92, Kings, Pa. 89 Defiance 83, Mount St. Joseph 64 Dominican, N.Y. 84, Chestnut Hill 72 Drexel 68, Delaware 60 Franklin & Marshall 74, Washington, Md. 58 George Washington 78, Fordham 53 Gettysburg 69, Muhlenberg 57 Gwynedd-Mercy 75, Rosemont 67 Harvard 81, Brown 67 Hiram 64, Kenyon 54 Indiana, Pa. 70, Mercyhurst 53 John Carroll 69, Capital 68 Keystone 78, Phila. Biblical 61 Lafayette 83, Navy 77 Lake Erie 77, Urbana 68 Lehigh 78, Army 66 Lycoming 84, Alvernia 77 Malone 98, Point Park 95 Mansfield 81, Cheyney 80 Marietta 91, Ohio Northern 63 Merchant Marine 57, Catholic 49 Michigan St. 65, Penn St. 54 Misericordia 66, FDU-Florham 64 Molloy 66, St. Thomas Aquinas 57 Monmouth, N.J. 76, Wagner 67 Mount St. Mary’s, Md. 77, Fairleigh Dickinson 67 Mount Union 88, Otterbein 71 Old Westbury 58, Mount St. Mary, N.Y. 53 Philadelphia 81, Bloomfield 77 Plattsburgh 69, Cortland St. 65 Queens, N.Y. 70, N.Y. Tech 64 Quinnipiac 80, Long Island U. 72 Richard Stockton 82, Rowan 55 Richmond 68, St. Bonaventure 49 Robert Morris 52, Bryant 42 Rose-Hulman 65, Bluffton 62 Sacred Heart 62, St. Francis, NY 50 Saginaw Valley St. 69, Tiffin 55 Scranton 74, Juniata 68 St. Francis, Pa. 59, Cent.

Connecticut St. 57 St. Rose 82, Pace 74 Stony Brook 81, Binghamton 61 Susquehanna 69, Moravian 55 Temple 78, Rhode Island 56 Thiel 88, Westminster, Pa. 78 Towson 74, Georgia St. 69, OT Ursinus 61, McDaniel 48 Valley Forge Christian 64, RutgersCamden 56 Villanova 92, Providence 81 Walsh 80, Shawnee St. 63 Wentworth Tech 76, Curry 64 William Paterson 77, Montclair St. 51 Yale 69, Dartmouth 56 SOUTH Alabama 73, Arkansas 68 Alcorn St. 55, MVSU 54 Alice Lloyd 69, Indiana-East 68 Appalachian St. 111, Georgia Southern 83 Apprentice 70, S. Virginia 61 Ark.-Pine Bluff 66, Southern U. 62 Augusta St. 61, Montevallo 40 Belmont 70, S.C.-Upstate 57 Berea 103, Cincinnati Christian 90 Bethany,W.Va. 91, Thomas More 75 Bethel, Tenn. 115, Blue Mountain 102 Brescia 80, St. Louis Pharmacy 45 Bryan 70, Montreat 60 Christian Brothers 68, Delta St. 55 Clayton St. 81, Francis Marion 70 Clemson 74, Miami 66 Coastal Carolina 52, Radford 51 Coppin St. 79, S. Carolina St. 61 Cumberland, Tenn. 79, Trevecca Nazarene 49 Cumberlands 79, Lindsey Wilson 74, OT Davidson 75, W. Carolina 72 Delaware St. 67, Bethune-Cookman 50 Duke 77, Maryland 56 Florida A&M 80, Md.-Eastern Shore 71 Furman 87, Chattanooga 78 Georgia 66, South Carolina 61 Guilford 91, Lynchburg 74 High Point 73, Charleston Southern 68 Hofstra 87, UNC Wilmington 70 Howard 59, N. Carolina A&T 49 Indiana-Southeast 101, Asbury 67 Jacksonville 69, Stetson 54 James Madison 76, Va. Commonwealth 71 Kentucky Wesleyan 80, N. Kentucky 60 Liberty 69, Gardner-Webb 61 Mars Hill 77, Catawba 75 Martin Methodist 83, Lyon 65 Middle Tennessee 109, Houston Baptist 79 Mississippi St. 85, Auburn 75, OT Morgan St. 79, Winston-Salem 65 Murray St. 75, Jacksonville St. 67 N.C. Central 81, Longwood 78 Norfolk St. 70, Hampton 66 North Carolina 74, N.C. State 61 North Florida 68, Florida Gulf Coast 65, OT Northwestern St. 82, Cent. Arkansas 76 Nova Southeastern 81, Barry 79 Old Dominion 76, George Mason 60 Randolph 65, Emory & Henry 64 SE Louisiana 76, Nicholls St. 63 Southern Miss. 66, Rice 50 Spalding 79, Eureka 75 St. Catherine 73, Pikeville 63 The Citadel 77, Elon 72 Tuskegee 63, Paine 61 UCF 62, Tulane 54 UNC Asheville 114, VMI 97 Union 69, Freed-Hardeman 60 Vanderbilt 77, LSU 69 Washington & Lee 75, Bridgewater, Va. 71 William & Mary 53, Northeastern 52 Winthrop 66, Presbyterian 53 Wofford 59, Samford 54 Xavier 76, Florida 64 MIDWEST Adrian 63, Olivet 59 Aquinas 69, Davenport 53 Ashland 83, Lake Superior St. 64 Ball St. 71, N. Illinois 66 Bemidji St. 81, Minn.-Crookston 64 Bradley 68, N. Iowa 59 Briar Cliff 84, Doane 63 Butler 70, Cleveland St. 59 Calvin 86, Kalamazoo 59 Carleton 68, Augsburg 60, OT Concordia, Mich. 69, MichiganDearborn 67 Concordia, Moor. 74, St. Mary’s, Minn. 66 Cornerstone 103, Madonna 62 Crown, Minn. 90, Northland 83, OT E. Illinois 77, E. Kentucky 54 Edgewood 87, Rockford 74 Ferris St. 90, N. Michigan 76 Findlay 101, Wayne, Mich. 99, OT Goshen 74, Taylor 72, OT Gustavus 86, Bethel, Minn. 52 Hillsdale 72, Northwood, Mich. 70 Illinois St. 67, Creighton 63 Indiana St. 76, Drake 66 Indiana Tech 66, Siena Heights 62 Kansas St. 68, Colorado 51 Lakeland 84, Marian, Wis. 73 Maranatha Baptist 63, Concordia, Wis. 61 Martin Luther 69, Presentation 59 Michigan Tech 53, Grand Valley St. 46 Minn.-Morris 99, Bethany Lutheran 80 Morningside 82, Dana 68

Bolden during a 16-6 run, taking a 54-40 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Lawrence Ghoram paced the Owls (8-16, 1-9) with 13 points and Lucas Kuipers added 12.

The Golden Eagles have won five of their last six games, while the Owls have lost three of four. n No. 3 Kentucky 73, No. 12 Tennessee 62: At Lexington, Ky., John Wall had 24 points — one short of his career high — and Eric Bledsoe added 16 as No. 3 Kentucky fought off No. 12 Tennessee.

Down 52-50 midway through the second half after a three-point play by J.P. Prince, Kentucky (241, 9-1) scored the next 10 points — six of them by Wall.

Bobby Maze led the Vols (18-6,

N.J. Tech at South Dakota, ppd.

Nebraska-Omaha 82, Truman St. 78 North Dakota 74, Chicago St. 60 Northwestern, Minn. 76, St. Scholastica 68 Park 88, Central Bible 59 Purdue 63, Iowa 40 Ripon 89, Beloit 71 S. Illinois 80, Evansville 64 S. Indiana 91, Indianapolis 74 Saint Louis 68, Dayton 65, 2OT Spring Arbor 79, Huntington 64 St. Cloud St. 92, Minn. St., Mankato 84 St. Joseph’s, Ind. 71, Lewis 65 St. Norbert 68, Lawrence 50 St. Olaf 68, Macalester 64 St. Thomas, Minn. 67, St. John’s, Minn. 62 Valparaiso 77, Youngstown St. 75 Wabash 59, Oberlin 47 Wayne, Neb. 63, Upper Iowa 54 Wilmington, Ohio 70, Heidelberg 66 Wis.-Milwaukee 71, Detroit 60 Wis.-Oshkosh 68, Wis.-Superior 61 Wis.-Platteville 75, Wis.-Stout 73 Wis.-Stevens Pt. 68, Wis.-River Falls 47 Wis.-Whitewater 81, Wis.-Eau Claire 69 Wisconsin 83, Indiana 55 Wright St. 67, Wis.-Green Bay 54 SOUTHWEST Baylor 64, Missouri 62 Houston 66, SMU 60 Memphis 93, Tulsa 86 Oklahoma St. 97, Oklahoma 76 Stephen F.Austin 69, McNeese St. 56 Texas 91, Nebraska 51 Texas A&M 67, Texas Tech 65 Texas Southern 87, Grambling St. 66 Texas St. 81, Lamar 67 FAR WEST Arizona St. 61, Oregon 51 BYU 91, Air Force 48 California 86, Washington St. 70 Pacific 71, CS Bakersfield 44 San Diego St. 68, UNLV 58 Seattle 98, Sacramento St. 67 TCU 76, Wyoming 68 UC Santa Barbara 64, Long Beach St. 62 Women EAST Akron 63, Buffalo 57 American U. 82, Colgate 47 Boston U. 69, Albany, N.Y. 65 Cincinnati 66, Syracuse 62, OT Columbia 71, Penn 58 Connecticut 66, St. John’s 52 Dayton 74, Massachusetts 60 Fairfield 66, Canisius 61 Fairleigh Dickinson 55, Mount St. Mary’s, Md. 44 Harvard 66, Brown 51 Holy Cross 65, Bucknell 60 La Salle 70, Fordham 62 Long Island U. 66, Quinnipiac 54 Manhattan 55, Niagara 53 Monmouth, N.J. 69, Wagner 56 Navy 62, Lafayette 42 Princeton 72, Cornell 49 Robert Morris 74, Bryant 72 Rutgers 49, Villanova 36 Saint Joseph’s 71, Saint Louis 67 South Florida 53, Seton Hall 38 St. Francis, NY 64, Sacred Heart 63 St. Francis, Pa. 64, Cent.

Connecticut St. 45 St. Peter’s 53, Siena 45 Stony Brook 59, Maine 47 Temple 79, Charlotte 68 UMBC 54, New Hampshire 40 Vermont 64, Binghamton 39 Xavier 74, Duquesne 55 Yale 70, Dartmouth 66, 2OT SOUTH Alabama A&M 73, Alabama St. 63 Campbell 66, Mercer 60 Charleston Southern 72, Coastal Carolina 65 Chattanooga 59, Appalachian St. 56 Delaware St. 57, Bethune-Cookman 53 ETSU 81, Kennesaw St. 63 Fla. International 55, Troy 47 Gardner-Webb 74, High Point 66 Georgia Southern 52, Coll. of Charleston 41 Hampton 68, Norfolk St. 47 Jacksonville 61, Stetson 47 Longwood 79, Savannah St. 48 MVSU 66, Alcorn St. 56 Marshall 65, UTEP 56 Morgan St. 73, Winston-Salem 44 Murray St. 71, Jacksonville St. 60 N. Carolina A&T 80, Howard 57 North Florida 57, Florida Gulf Coast 56 Richmond 70, Rhode Island 46 S. Carolina St. 69, Coppin St. 53 S.C.-Upstate 90, Belmont 73 SE Louisiana 72, Nicholls St. 68 Samford 73, Davidson 57 South Alabama 79, LouisianaLafayette 59 Southern U. 67, Ark.-Pine Bluff 50 Stephen F.Austin 85, McNeese St. 75 Tennessee St. 68, Austin Peay 57 Tennessee Tech 85, Tenn.-Martin 41 Tulane 56, East Carolina 51 UNC Asheville 66, Presbyterian 59 W. Carolina 75, Elon 48 W. Illinois 61, Centenary 50 Winthrop 56, Radford 52 MIDWEST Bowling Green 73, Ohio 57 Butler 72, Cleveland St. 66 Creighton 42, Evansville 41 Detroit 64, Ill.-Chicago 61 Drake 74, S. Illinois 56 E. Illinois 69, E. Kentucky 41 E. Michigan 63, Ball St. 57 Iowa St. 69, Baylor 45 Kent St. 84, Miami (Ohio) 75 Loyola of Chicago 77, Wright St. 68, OT Morehead St. 65, SE Missouri 50 N. Iowa 84, Bradley 60 Nebraska 82, Missouri 78 North Dakota 76, Chicago St. 59 Oakland, Mich. 73, UMKC 53 Providence 53, Marquette 44 S. Dakota St. 74, N. Dakota St. 49 Texas 85, Kansas 82, 2OT Toledo 65, W. Michigan 41 Valparaiso 80, Youngstown St. 28 Wis.-Green Bay 74, Wis.-Milwaukee 63 SOUTHWEST Ark.-Little Rock 61, W. Kentucky 53 Cent. Arkansas 77, Northwestern St. 71 Denver 65, North Texas 58 Grambling St. 59, Texas Southern 52 Lamar 85, Texas St. 71 Oklahoma 65, Colorado 55 Oral Roberts 114, IUPUI 43 Prairie View 64, Jackson St. 40 TCU 78, Wyoming 59 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 81, Sam Houston St. 80 Texas Tech 65, Oklahoma St. 57 Texas-Arlington 78, UTSA 71 Texas-Pan American 78, Utah Valley 69 FAR WEST BYU 78, Air Force 53 Cal Poly 58, UC Riverside 51 Gonzaga 75, San Diego 61 IPFW 76, S. Utah 65 Idaho 74, Hawaii 59 Long Beach St. 65, UC Santa Barbara 62 Loyola Marymount 58, San Francisco 48 Oregon 82, Arizona St. 81 Pepperdine 65, Santa Clara 51 Sacramento St. 95, Pacific 81 Saint Mary’s, Calif. 67, Portland 64 UCLA 74, Southern Cal 56 UNLV 66, San Diego St. 59 Utah 52, New Mexico 49

Men’s College Boxes MSU 85, Auburn 75, OT

AUBURN (12-13) –– Hargrove 7-16 4-4 20, Lett 0-2 1-4 1, Reed 5-21 2-2 13, Sullivan 5-11 1-2 11, Waller 8-15 0-0 21, Malone 0-0 0-0 0, Wallace 00 0-0 0, Gabriel 0-2 0-0 0, Knox 3-9 0-0 6, Ross 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 29-79 812 75.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (18-7) –– Augustus 3-10 1-2 7, Varnado 4-8 26 10, Johnson 1-6 0-0 3, Bost 11-19 3-3 32, Stewart 4-11 1-2 12, Osby 3-

6-4) with 15 points. Melvin Goins had a career-high 14. n Xavier 76, Florida 64: At Gainesville, Fla., Jason Love scored 20 points, Jordan Crawford added 18 and Ken Frease had 12 as Xavier beat Florida.

Crawford scored 12 of his points in the second half. Most of his points came after the Gators had fought back from a 16-point deficit in the first half.

Terrell Holloway scored 10 points for Xavier, while Jamel McLean had 13 rebounds.

Florida was led by Chandler Parsons’ 15 points, Kenny Boynton and Vernon Macklin each had 12, and Erving Walker added 11. n Georgia 66, South Carolina 61: At Athens, Ga., Jeremy Price

CALENDAR

scored 16 points in his first start of the season, including the goahead points with 1:09 remaining, and Georgia rallied to beat South Carolina.

Devan Downey and Brandis Raley-Ross each had 18 points for South Carolina (14-10, 5-5). n No. 22 Vanderbilt 77, LSU 69: At Nashville, Tenn., reserve Lance Goulbourne scored 11 of his career-high 18 points in the second half and No. 22 Vanderbilt held off LSU. Despite blowing an eight-point lead in the second half, Vanderbilt (19-5, 8-2 SEC) avoided a letdown after Tuesdays big win over instate rival Tennessee.

The Tigers (9-16, 0-11) have lost 13 straight SEC regular-season games.

COLLEGE CALENDAR

High School Basketball

Mississippi State

Monday

Women’s Basketball vs. Ole Miss, 4:30 p.m.

Men’s Golf in Gator Invitational at Gainesville, Fla., All day Softball vs. Stephen F. Austin in Bulldog RoundRobin, 1 p.m.

Softball vs. UAB in Bulldog Round-Robin, 3 p.m.

MHSAA Class 6A North State Tournament Girls Game Starkville at Northwest Rankin, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 5A North State Tournament Girls Games Canton at New Hope, 7 p.m.

West Point at Yazoo City, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 4A North State Tournament Girls Games Noxubee County at New Albany, 7 p.m.

North Pontotoc at Amory, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 3A North State Tournament Girls Game TBA at Aberdeen, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 2A North State Tournament Girls Game West Lowndes at Broad Street, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class A North State Tournament Girls Game Pine Grove at West Oktibbeha, 7 p.m.

MAIS Class A North State Tournament At Benton Academy, Benton Boys Game Immanuel vs. Sharkey Issaquena, 4 p.m.

Girls Game Immanuel vs. Hebron Christian, 1 p.m.

AISA Class AA State Tournament At Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Ala. Boys Game Pickens Academy vs. Edgewood, 10:30 a.m.

Girls Game Pickens Academy vs. Crenshaw Academy, 9 a.m.

Tuesday MHSAA Class 6A North State Tournament Boys Games Columbus at Jackson Murrah, 7 p.m.

Grenada at Starkville, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 5A North State Tournament Boys Game Yazoo City at New Hope, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 4A North State Tournament Boys Game Shannon at Noxubee County, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 3A North State Tournament Boys Game MS Palmer at Aberdeen, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class 2A North State Tournament Boys Game Broad Street at West Lowndes, 7 p.m.

MHSAA Class A North State Tournament Boys Game West Oktibbeha at Thrasher, 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR Television Today 8:30 a.m. –– European PGA Golf: Avantha Masters (same-day tape), TGC 11 a.m. –– Auto Racing: Daytona 500, WLOV Noon –– Men’s College Basketball: Ohio State at Illinois, WCBI Noon –– Men’s College Basketball: Louisville at Syracuse, ESPN Noon –– PGA Golf: Pebble Beach National ProAm, TGC. Noon –– Olympics: Women’s speed skating: 3000m Gold Medal final; Nordic combined: K-95 jumping individual and 10km cross country individual Gold Medal finals; men’s luge: singles; men’s biathlon: 10km sprint Gold Medal final, WTVA 7 p.m. –– Auto Racing: NHRA, Winternationals, final eliminations (same-day tape), ESPN2 2 p.m. –– Bowling: USBC Masters, ESPN. 2 p.m. –– PGA Golf: Pebble Beach National ProAm, WCBI 2 p.m. –– Olympics: Women’s ice hockey: United State vs. China, USA 2 p.m. –– Women’s College Basketball: Houston at SMU, Arkansas at South Carolina, or DePaul at Notre Dame, ESPN2 4 p.m. –– Women’s College Basketball: California at Washington, FSN 4:30 p.m. –– Women’s College Basketball: Ole Miss at Mississippi State, ESPN2 6 p.m. –– Champions Tour Golf: The ACE Group Classic (same-day tape), TGC 6 p.m. –– Olympics: Figure skating: pairs short program; men’s freestyle skiing: moguls Gold Medal final; men’s luge: singles Gold Medal final; women’s alpine skiing: super combined Gold Medal final, WTVA 6:30 p.m. –– Men’s College Basketball: Boston College at Florida State, FSN 6:30 p.m. –– Olympics: Women’s ice hockey: Finland vs. Russia, CNBC 7 p.m. –– Rodeo: Express Classic (same-day tape), VERSUS 7:30 p.m. –– NBA: All-Star Game, TNT 9 p.m. –– Men’s College Basketball: UCLA at Southern Cal, FSN 10:35 p.m. –– Olympics: Award Ceremonies (same-day tape), WTVA

Monday Noon –– Olympics: Men’s snowboard: snowboard cross; men’s cross country: 15km individual Gold Medal final; women’s cross country: 10km individual Gold Medal final, WTVA 4:30 p.m. –– Olympics: Women’s ice hockey: Canada vs. Switzerland, MSNBC 6 p.m. –– Men’s College Basketball: Connecticut at Villanova, ESPN 6 p.m. –– Women’s College Basketball: North Carolina at Virginia, ESPN2 7 p.m. –– Olympics: Figure skating: pairs Gold Medal final; men’s speed skating: 500m Gold Medal final, men’s snowboard: cross Gold Medal final, WTVA 8 p.m. –– Men’s College Basketball: Kansas at Texas A&M, ESPN 8 p.m. –– Women’s College Basketball: Connecticut at Oklahoma, ESPN2 11:35 p.m. –– Olympics: Women’s luge; Award Ceremonies (delayed tape), WTVA

Today

Ole Miss Today

Women’s Basketball at Mississippi State, 4:30 p.m.

Men’s Golf in Gator Invitational at Gainesville, Fla., all day Men’s Tennis vs. Louisville in ITA National Team Indoor Final 16 at Charlottesville, Va., 2 p.m.

Monday

Men’s Tennis in ITA National Team Indoor Final 16 at Charlottesville, Va., TBA

Alabama Today

Women’s Basketball at Georgia, 1 p.m.

Softball vs. Missouri, 1 p.m.

East Mississippi CC Monday

Men’s Basketball vs. Holmes CC, 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Holmes CC, 5:30 p.m.

Itawamba CC Monday

Men’s Basketball vs. Mississippi Delta, 8 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Mississippi Delta, 7 5-6 11, Benock 0-2 0-0 0, Turner 37 4-4 10, Lewis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 2970 16-23 85.

Halftime—Auburn 38-35. End Of 74.

3-Point Regulation—Tied Goals—Auburn 9-33 (Waller 5-11, Hargrove 2-7, Ross 1-2, Reed 1-8, Gabriel 0-1, Sullivan 0-4), Mississippi St. 11-34 (Bost 7-12, Stewart 3-9, Johnson 1-5, Osby 0-1, Augustus 0-3, Turner 0-4). Fouled Out—Knox. Rebounds—Auburn 47 (Hargrove 10), Mississippi St. 46 (Varnado 12). Assists—Auburn 10 (Reed 4), Mississippi St. 11 (Stewart 5). Total Fouls—Auburn 17, Mississippi St. 10. A—8,854.

Alabama 73, Arkansas 68

ARKANSAS (13-12) –– Washington 6-8 0-1 12, Powell 5-10 0-0 10, Fortson 5-17 5-8 18, Britt 1-1 0-0 2, Clarke 3-8 0-0 8, Farmer 3-3 0-0 8, Bryant 2-4 0-1 4, Welsh 1-4 1-2 4, Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Nobles 0-2 0-0 0.

Totals 27-58 6-12 68.

ALABAMA (14-11) –– Mitchell 2-5 22 6, Green 5-9 12-13 22, Hines 1-3 1-4 3, Brock 3-6 3-4 10, Hillman 5-10 0-0 11, Torrance 4-10 4-4 12, Davis 1-2 0-0 3, Knox 3-4 0-2 6. Totals 2449 22-29 73.

Halftime—Arkansas 38-29. 3-Point Goals—Arkansas 8-21 (Fortson 3-8, Farmer 2-2, Clarke 2-6, Welsh 1-3, Nobles 0-1, Bryant 0-1), Alabama 37 (Davis 1-1, Hillman 1-2, Brock 1-2, Mitchell 0-1, Torrance 0-1). Fouled Rebounds— Out—Washington.

Arkansas 24 (Fortson, Powell, Washington 4), Alabama 38 (Green 9). Assists—Arkansas 13 (Fortson 6), Alabama 14 (Brock 5). Total Fouls—Arkansas 23, Alabama 16.

A—13,151. 13,151.

Southern Miss 66, Rice 50

RICE (8-16) –– Kazemi 0-3 4-8 4, Kuipers 4-7 2-4 12, Stanton 2-4 0-1 4, Jackson 3-7 3-5 9, Ghoram 5-8 23 13, Schwarze 0-0 0-0 0, Frizzelle 1-3 2-2 4, Herndon 0-1 0-0 0, Braimoh 0-2 0-0 0, Beasley 1-3 0-0 2, Eversley 1-2 0-0 2, Holland 0-1 00 0, Edomwonyi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 1741 13-23 50.

SOUTHERN MISS (15-9) –– Flowers 7-12 6-6 20, Pelham 2-3 0-0 4, Stone 0-3 9-10 9, Horton 1-7 0-0 2, Johnson 3-7 6-7 12, Bolden 2-5 46 9, Ayarza 0-1 0-0 0, Ortiz 0-0 0-0 0, Pennington 0-1 1-2 1, Awaji 3-6 1-2 9. Totals 18-45 27-33 66.

Halftime—Southern Miss. 30-27. 3Point Goals—Rice 3-14 (Kuipers 24, Ghoram 1-2, Stanton 0-1, Eversley 0-1, Holland 0-1, Beasley 0-1, Jackson 0-2, Frizzelle 0-2), Southern Miss. 3-15 (Awaji 2-5, Bolden 1-1, Pennington 0-1, Flowers 0-2, Johnson 0-3, Horton 0-3).

Fouled Out—Ghoram. Rebounds— Rice 28 (Kazemi 6), Southern Miss.

39 (Flowers 9). Assists—Rice 11 (Jackson 5), Southern Miss. 11 (Johnson 5). Total Fouls—Rice 25, Southern Miss. 20. A—2,834.

Alcorn 55, MississippiValley 54

MVSU (6-19) –– Studivant 2-3 2-4 6, Behling 7-16 3-4 19, Cheeks 2-14 01 5, Jackson 1-6 1-2 4, Cox 2-3 0-0 4, Donald 2-5 0-0 4, Mack 0-1 0-0 0, Burwell 2-7 4-4 8, J.Holmes 1-4 2-2 4. Totals 19-59 12-17 54.

ALCORN STATE (1-24) –– Anthony 2-4 1-3 5, Francis 6-14 2-5 14, Boyd 3-8 1-2 9, Searcy 3-6 0-2 6, Rogers 1-8 4-5 6, Savannah 1-1 0-0 2, Blackwell 0-0 0-0 0, Ingram 2-5 0-0 4, Eackles 1-1 3-6 5, Starks 1-3 0-0 2, Martin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-51 1123 55.

Halftime—MVSU 30-25. 3-Point Goals—MVSU 4-23 (Behling 2-6, Jackson 1-4, Cheeks 1-7, Mack 0-1, Cox 0-1, Donald 0-2, Burwell 0-2), Alcorn St. 2-11 (Boyd 2-5, Searcy 01, Ingram 0-1, Rogers 0-4). Fouled Out—Cheeks. Rebounds—MVSU 41 (J.Holmes 8), Alcorn St. 38 (Anthony, Francis 7). Assists— MVSU 12 (Burwell 6), Alcorn St. 6 (Rogers 3). Total Fouls—MVSU 24, Alcorn St. 19. A—750.

Auto Racing Daytona 500 Lineup Today 1. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 191.188 mph.

2. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 190.913.

3. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet,

190.359.

4. (9) Kasey Kahne, Ford, 189.056.

5. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 188.996.

6. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 189.374.

7. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 190.054.

8. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 190.408.

9. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 190.118.

10. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 190.359.

11. (78) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 188.699.

12. (19) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 188.533.

13. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 189.593.

14. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 188.727.

15. (43) AJ Allmendinger, Ford, 189.255.

16. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 189.693.

17. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 190.577.

18. (47) Marcos Ambrose, Toyota, 189.757.

19. (6) David Ragan, Ford, 189.282.

20. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, 189.314.

21. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 190.05.

22. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 188.628.

23. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 188.411.

24. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 190.05.

25. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 189.072.

26. (12) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 189.737.

27. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 189.195.

28. (36) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 189.052.

29. (55) Michael McDowell, Toyota, 185.924.

30. (82) Scott Speed, Toyota, 189.958.

31. (13) Max Papis, Toyota, 188.198.

32. (98) Paul Menard, Ford, 189.294.

33. (34) John Andretti, Ford, 187.512.

34. (7) Robby Gordon, Toyota, 188.735.

35. (37) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 187.285.

36. (77) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 190.05.

37. (38) Robert Richardson Jr., Ford, 187.289.

38. (26) Boris Said, Ford, 186.908.

39. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 188.865.

40. (21) Bill Elliott, Ford, 190.573.

41. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 189.709.

42. (71) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 189.665.

43. (51) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 189.454.

DRIVE4COPD 300 Saturday At Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla. Lap length: 2.5 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (32) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 120 laps, 122.4 rating, 195 points, $117,295.

2. (2) Carl Edwards, Ford, 120, 112.5, 175, $88,175.

3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 120, 123.3, 170, $74,350.

4. (12) Justin Allgaier, Dodge, 120, 89.5, 160, $71,168.

5. (7) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 120, 100.1, 155, $61,810.

6. (43) Paul Menard, Ford, 120, 86.9, 150, $57,185.

7. (6) Joey Logano, Toyota, 120, 106.7, 146, $54,810.

8. (11) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 120, 82.7, 142, $64,403.

9. (8) Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 120, 97.6, 138, $52,185.

10. (13) Steve Wallace, Chevrolet, 120, 83.5, 139, $58,003.

11. (28) Brian Keselowski, Dodge, 120, 68.5, 130, $57,903.

12. (18) Michael Annett, Toyota, 120, 85.4, 127, $56,228.

13. (24) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 120, 90.8, 129, $55,753.

14. (20) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, 120, 71.7, 126, $55,828.

15. (39) Scott Riggs, Ford, 120, 72.7, 118, $55,978.

16. (19) Kenny Wallace, Chevrolet, 120, 54.8, 115, $54,828.

17. (26) Eric McClure, Ford, 120, 60.5, 117, $56,778.

18. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 120, 103.1, 114, $48,985.

19. (37) Brian Scott, Toyota, 120, 59.7, 106, $47,860.

Quiz Today’s Question When is the last time the Mississippi State men’s basketball team beat Kentucky?

Wednesday’s Question When Michael Jordan came out of retirement for the first time, what number did he initially wear?

Wednesday’s Answer Jordan wore No. 45.

THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

3B

PREP BASKETBALL

Townsel all smiles after leading Starkville to win

BY ADAM MINICHINO aminichino@cdispatch.com TUPELO — Don’t let the smile fool you. Edward Townsel is an assassin.

The Starkville High School senior guard has quickness reminiscent of Monta Ellis to blow by even the nimblest of defenders. He has the hops of an Energizer bunny who has just sucked down a Red Bull energy drink.

Most importantly, his accuracy compares to a carnival marksman, only his daggers are jump shots and pinpoint passes to teammates for layups or dunks.

And Townsel does it all with a smile.

That toothy grin was on display for only two and half quarters Friday night, but it was more than enough to push the Yellow Jackets back home.

Townsel scored 16 consecu-

tive points in the second quarter en route to a game-high 28 to help Starkville ease past Columbus 72-44 in the Class 6A, Division 2, District 4 championship game at Tupelo High.

“We feel ver y good with ever ybody playing good and everybody defending,” Townsel said. “We feel like a pretty good team.”

With the victory, Starkville (24-2) will play host to Grenada on Tuesday in the Class 5A North State Tournament.

Columbus (13-12) will travel Tuesday to play at Jackson Murrah.

In the girls game, Chasity Kearney had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals to lead South Panola past Starkville 67-51.

Starkville (16-8) will go on the road Monday to play at the winner of Saturday’s game between Northwest Rankin and Murrah.

In the nightcap Friday, Rashad Perkins had 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter to help the Yellow Jackets build a 25-17 lead after eight minutes. By the time Townsel was done in the second quarter, the lead had ballooned to 45-23 after his 3pointer with 1 minute, 41 seconds to go before halftime ended his 16-point outburst.

“He just plays at another level of quickness,” Starkville coach Greg Carter said. “When you combine his ballhandling skills and his shooting ability, it makes him seem like he is quicker than he is.”

The 3-pointer was one of two in the stretch for Townsel, who also showcased his braking power when he pulled up on a dime and hit a jump shot. It took Townsel only 4:50 to score his 16 points and turn what looked like it might be a competitive third meeting into a blowout.

If someone didn’t know any

better they would have thought Townsel was doing his best impersonation of Ellis, the former Jackson Lanier High standout who is a member of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Ellis, whose nickname is “Mississippi bullet,” might have been faster in high school than Townsel, but it was hard to quibble with anything the senior guard did Friday night.

“I guess the basket was looking that big to him,” said Columbus coach Sammy Smith, holding his arms out wide in front of him in the shape of a circle. “He put it in the hole. I am not going to say we weren’t trying to guard him, but, at the same time, we had no intensity or fight about us. But when that basket is looking that big anybody can go through there.

Coach Carter had those boys ready to play.”

The only hiccups for Starkville came early in the third

quarter, when Townsel had consecutive turnovers and Perkins missed a dunk and then goaltended a jump shot by Bobby Wrench.

Townsel flashed his trademark smile after the second turnover, a traveling violation after he tried to hop, skip, and jump through several defenders. He kept the smile as he jogged back down court and took his defensive stance.

Townsel said it is very difficult not to play basketball with a smile. He said wearing a smile “is all I do,” even after mistakes.

But Townsel said he doesn’t allow miscues to affect his game. He said sometimes he is the only one who can take himself out of games.

Defenders might try to disrupt his flow, but it’s extremely difficult because Townsel has 3point range from NBA distance.

See STARKVILLE, 10B

New Hope Trojans, Lady Trojans rally for division titles

BY DAVID MILLER dmiller@cdispatch.com

SALTILLO — A 14-point deficit couldn’t keep the New Hope Trojans from claiming their sixth-straight division championship Friday.

A a furious second-half rally propelled New Hope past Oxford 66-56 in the championship game of the MHSAA Class 5A, Division 2 Tournament.

The Trojans hit a low point in the second quarter when the Chargers extended their lead 30-18, but New Hope coach Drew McBrayer’s squad wasn’t about to throw a wrench in tradition.

New Hope forced Oxford out of its stifling 2-3 zone and once the Trojans forced the Chargers into man-defense, McBrayer felt like the pendulum swung his team’s way.

It certainly helped to have a pair of players take over in the

third and fourth quarters.

Guard Raymond Walters scored six-straight points to help the Trojans reduce a 12point deficit to four at the end the third quarter.

Walters then made a 3-pointer with 6:20 remaining in the fourth to give the Trojans a 4847 lead, which they held onto for good.

Jamal Richardson closed the game by scoring on six-straight possessions to turn two-point leads into four-point leads against the rallying efforts of Oxford’s Brandon Rice, who scored seven of the Chargers’ last nine points.

“We’ve always been warriors,” Walters said. “We’d get down in the game, but never get down on ourselves. We come back and fight.

Coach (McBrayer) puts us in a situation every day in practice where we’re down and he’ll give us a couple of minutes to come back.

He knows we can do it and we

know we can do it.”

Walters and Richardson each finished with 19 points, and Jonathan Brandon added 18 for New Hope, which hosts Yazoo City on Tuesday in the Class 5A North State tournament.

For now, the Trojans will enjoy clinching the Division 2 crown. They’ll also enjoy the fashion in which they got it done.

The key, McBrayer said, was getting the Chargers out of their 2-3 zone.

“We made some adjustments and went to it,” McBrayer said.

“I thought when we finally got them out of that zone and got them to go man, that was to our advantage. We were trying to do that the entire night, but we never had a lead and didn’t attack that goal well enough.

When we did get the lead, that was to our advantage.”

Against the man-defense, Richardson and Walters had their way in the lane and were

able to answer the sharp shooting of Oxford’s Blake and Dee Wallace, who combined for 33 points.

The key during New Hope’s fourth-quarter surge was its play on both ends of the court.

The Trojans forced six-straight Oxford misses while holding on to the lead and more importantly, closing the game down the stretch.

New Hope split the division series with Oxford and McBrayer referenced his team’s loss in Oxford in explaining his team’s ability to close crucial games.

“We’ve done it at times this year, closing close games down the stretch,” McBrayer said.”

We’ve also lost some close games this season and lost one at Oxford when we could never get control up there. I thought when we finally got in control tonight and got the lead, they had to come out and chase us.

That’s what we try to do and we

closed this game like a championship team does.

“There’s a tradition here and this team didn’t want to be known for losing the district title.” n New Hope 42, West Point 40 (G): For the first time in 18 years, the New Hope Lady Trojans are division champions.

After recovering from a sluggish start, New Hope edged West Point to claim the Class 5A, Division 2 title and set up Monday’s Class 5A North State Tournament game against Canton at New Hope.

Kelli Petty and Kia Edmonds led the Lady Trojans with 13 points each, while center Rachel Hollivay finished with seven points and five blocked shots.

West Point was led by guard Kelsei Ewings’ 21 points and Kourtney Crowley’s 10.

Hollivay said the key to New Hope overcoming an eight-point

See NEW HOPE, 10B

Aberdeen boys, girls capture district championships

BY DON ROWE Special to The Dispatch MOOREVILLE — The finals of the six-team Class 3A, Region 2, District 1 basketball tournament turned into a win-win situation for Aberdeen High School on Friday night, as the Bulldogs and the Lady Bulldogs knocked off Nettleton to capture district championships.

In the girls title game, Aberdeen built a 24-9 first-quarter advantage en route to a 68-54 win. The boys then claimed a 5845 triumph in the fourth and final game of the night to complete the sweep.

Both Aberdeen teams, who also carted off regular-season championships, will advance to the next round of the playoffs.

The girls will the loser of the East Side-Charleston game Monday at home, while the boys will face M.S. Palmer, the No. 4 team from Region 3.

In the girls game, Aberdeen,

fresh off a 60-39 win against Nettleton that clinched the regular-season championship earlier this month, outscored the Lady Tigers by 15 points in the first quarter, but coach Grant Gardner’s squad battled back to within four points, 31-27, at halftime thanks to an 18-point second period.

The momentum quickly turned in Aberdeen’s favor, however, when the Jameika Hoskins was fouled on a desperate 3point attempt with no time on the clock. The Aberdeen senior calmly sank all three free throw attempts to give her team a 3427 halftime cushion.

The seven-point spread grew to 38-27 early in the third quarter thanks to a basket and a pair of free throws by Dayana McGee, but Nettleton again battled back to close within 46-40 before Aberdeen blew things wide open with a 20-2 run for a 66-42 lead midway through the final period.

“Aberdeen jumped out to that big first-quarter lead and it took a great effort on our part to get back in the game,” said Gardner, who was short one starter. “But then we just didn’t have enough gas in the tank down the stretch.”

Said Aberdeen coach Latorrence Bivens, “We knew coming in we were in store for a tough battle, and you have to give credit to Nettleton for battling the way they did. We told our team they (Nettleton) were going to give it their best shot, and that’s what they did.”

A balanced scoring attack paved the way for Aberdeen, as Hoskins had a game-high 23points. Regina Barker chipped in with 12, followed by Ebony Jones (nine), McGee (eight), Janee Hodges (seven), and Michelle Stewart (six).

“That’s what you like to see in a big game like this, balanced scoring,” Bivens said. “You can’t ask for more than that.”

In stark contrast, the bulk of Nettleton’s scoring came from Camr y Jones and Memor y Shumpert, who combined for 41 points. Jones, who sat out much of the fourth quarter with leg cramps, had 15 points at halftime and finished with 22, while Shumpert added 19.

“We knew we’d have trouble containing her (Jones),” Bivens said. “She’s a great player.” n Aberdeen 58, Nettleton 45 (B): Locked in a nip-and-tuck battle and with his team tied 4040 48 seconds into the fourth senior Aberdeen quarter, Anthony McDonald provided the spark for an 18-5 run that propelled the Bulldogs to the victory.

After Nettleton’s O’Darius Lowe picked up back-to-back charging fouls, McDonald, who played primarily on the B-team last year as a junior, scored on two driving layups and a fallaway jumper to give the Bulldogs a 46-40 advantage mid-

way through the fourth quarter.

Moments later, a basket by Jeffer y Riddle followed by a bucket and free throw by Jeremy Roberts increased Aberdeen’s lead to 51-43.

Then the spotlight returned to McDonald, as he dribbled more than a minute off the clock, picked off two key defensive rebounds, made 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch and scored the final basket on a short jumper with 26 seconds left.

“Anthony just took over there in the fourth quarter,” Aberdeen coach Roy Hazzle said. “In big games like this, we need our seniors to step up and take charge, and it was good to see Anthony rise to the challenge.

“We lost the district championship to Nettleton last year at their place and our kids were determined to reclaim it this year. We needed a game like

See ABERDEEN, 10B

West Lowndes defeats Calhoun City for region title FROM SPECIAL REPORTS

BRUCE –– The West Lowndes High School boys basketball team won a championship trophy Friday night to add to the school’s display case by beating Calhoun City 66-55 in the championship game of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 2A, Region 2 Tournament.

“It was real exciting,” West Lowndes coach Herman Peters said. “The guys played real hard. They played together as a team Demetrius Malone had 16 points to lead West Lowndes (17-6). Andra Lewis had 15 and Tyquan Lucious added 11.

West Lowndes led 23-19 at the end of the first quarter, 34-30 at halftime, and 48-43 after the third quarter.

“They tied it (34-34) early in the third quarter and then we went on from there and never

looked back,” Peters said. “I was real proud of the guys.”

West Lowndes scored six straight points after Calhoun City tied the score to take a 4034 lead.

West Lowndes will play host to Broad Street in the first round of the MHSAA Class 2A North Half State Tournament at 7 p.m.

Tuesday. n Kemper Academy 40, Immanuel Christian 33 (B): At Benton, the Immanuel Rams came up short against Kemper Academy on Saturday in the MAIS Class A North State tournament.

Immanuel (18-14) led 8-4 after the first quarter, but fell behind 18-14 at halftime and 2618 at the end of the third period.

The Rams were led by Ross Moore with 11 points, Wade Lee with eight and Justin James and A.J. Johnston with seven each.

Immanuel plays Sharkey Issaquena Academy in a consolation game Monday.

n Benton Academy 53, Immanuel Christian 51 (G): At Benton, Ashley Boatner converted a three-point play with 3 seconds remaining to lift Benton Academy past the Immanuel Lady Rams on Saturday in the MAIS Class A North Central State Tournament.

Immanuel (18-13) took a 5150 lead with 5.8 seconds to play on a steal and jump shot by Taylor Baudoin.

The Lady Rams were led by Nyki Baudoin with 15 points and seven rebounds, Bailey Edwards with 14 points and 14 rebounds and Taylor Baudoin with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Immanuel will play Hebron Christian in the consolation game at 1 p.m. Monday. n Noxubee County 83, Houston 71 (B): At Caledonia, Daquarius Mallard scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Noxubee County Tigers past Houston on Friday in the championship game of the MHSAA Class 4A, Region 4 Tournament.

Also scoring in double figures for Noxubee County (1610) were Earnest Hunter with 14 points, Vincent Sanders with 13, Terrance Barron with 12 and Myquell Grace with 10.

Noxubee County hosts Shannon on Tuesday in the MHSAA Class 4A North State Tournament. n Amor y 51, Noxubee County 49 (G): At Caledonia, the Noxubee County Tigerettes came up short in a lot to Amory on Friday in the MHSAA Class 4A, Region 4 Tournament.

Noxubee County (13-12) was led by Cierra Chandler with 20 points and Aja Forte with 12.

Noxubee County plays at New Albany in the MHSAA State Class 4A North Tournament on Monday. n Bruce 68, East Webster 41 (B): At Bruce, the East Webster Wolverines fell behind in the opening quarter and went onto suffer a loss Friday in the MHSAA Class 2A, Region 2 Tournament.

East Webster (9-12) fell behind 21-8 at the end of the first quarter and went on to trail 34-19 at halftime and 57-25 after the third period.

Ledrick Patterson scored 17 points and Miguel Graham scored 13 to lead the Wolverines.

East Webster plays at West Bolivar at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the MHSAA Class 2A North Half State Tournament. n West Oktibbeha 70, Houlka 62 (B): At Vardaman, Kareem Hughes scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves on Friday in the consolation game of the MHSAA Class A, Region 4 Tournament.

Kendrick Yates had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Aaron Brownlee had 12 points, Dwight Quinn had 10 points and eight rebounds, and LaDrekus Powell had nine points for West

See ROUNDUP, 10B

THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com

4B SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

5B

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SEC NETWORK’S ESPN REGIONAL TELEVISION BROADCAST OF THE LSU-MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME ON JAN. 30 REPLAY OPERATORS

Michael J. Magandy, of Long Beach, and Andy Kingery are two of the men responsible for the slow-motion replays, which is also known as slo-mo.

Magandy got into the business in Orlando, Fla., after moving there to start working for a new morning news magazine at MGM Studios Disney World. The business went bankrupt before it hit air and the Disney crewer asked if I could work BetaSp and 1” machines, and before you knew it, I was working freelance.

A primary component of his work on college basketball broadcasts involves using a new machine called an EVS, which is also known as “Elvis.” It is a digital, disk-based system, and there were three operating for the LSU-Mississippi State game. The machines are labeled Red/Blue, (the two main record/playback machines, and that operator has more responsibility), A/B, (two more record/playback machines), and sometimes X/Y (yet two more record/playback machines.

The operators use colors and letters to be different from cameras, which use numbers.

You watch two cameras that are being recorded, in these EVS machines and decide which one has the best angle of a moment in the game that could be used to show an outstanding play or where someone might have gotten injured or other interesting moments.

The EVS operator then lets the producer know which machine it will play back on, also known as “selling”. The producer would say as pregame instructions “sell ... sell ... sell.” The EVS operator waits for the cue from the producer to roll and then plays the EVS device back in a slowmotion speed for everyone who is watching to enjoy.

Kingery is a freelance EVS operator, and works all sports and for any network. He has also done some entertainment and studio work as an associate director). He is currently in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, where he will spend 26 days on that assignment.

Kingery said the EVS machines can all talk to each other via a server network. As

REPLAY OPERATORS John Heiser is another one of the replay operators who worked the LSU-Mississippi State men’s game. He works in TV trucks as a part-time gig. His full-time job is as an editor for a large advertising agency in Birmingham, Ala. Heiser said he has worked in TV since 1982, when, straight out of college, he started working as a camera person at a TV station in San Antonio, Texas. After two years, he started directing newscasts and editing a nightly show called “PM Magazine.”

In 1988, because he knew a guy he said he got a job producing graphics packages at ABC-TV in Hollywood. But producers don’t get to punch buttons, at least at that time, so he became an editor two years later and moved back to San Antonio.

In 1994, he moved to Knoxville to edit for a larger company there, and moved to Birmingham in 2000.

While editing in Knoxville one evening, he took a call intended for the other editor — “I need somebody to run a tape machine at the Tennessee game this Saturday.” I said, “Why not me?” Since then, he said he has increased his freelancing and does about two to three events a month in football and basketball seasons.

Heiser said people have come to expect “instant replays” in sports on TV, so it’s cool to be involved in that part of a broadcast. During the game he records an “iso”, or isolated feed, which is typically one or maybe two cameras, which sometimes enables him to see a play from an angle the producer might not have seen. When that’s the case, it’s his job to “sell” it to the producer, either as the only replay or as a “second look.” At moments like that, the replay guys become a real contributor to the excitement of the show, and that's nice.

— Adam Minichino

CLOCK / SCORE OPERATOR Jason Hanvey, 29, of Eva, Ala., worked as a clock and score operator. He was in charge of updating the “bug” you see on the bottom of the screen or in the upper part of the screen.

Members of the crew at the LSU-Mississippi State game weren’t sure how the “bug” got its name, but it is believed to be tied in to the fact that the score and clock box that appeared on the television screen usually was small and placed in the upper corner of the screen, which looked like an added element to the game, or a “bug.”

Hanvey has an advertising and accounting degree from the University of Alabama. He is working toward becoming a certified public

accountant (CPA). When he was a freshman at Alabama, his boss at the Alabama recreation center did television work. He started in the business by being a utility worker, basically pulling cable for cameramen. After a year or so, they knew he knew sports, so they let him jump on a head set and do some statistical work.

After another couple of years, they asked him if he had a decent knowledge of computers, which he did, so he jumped in the production truck and started running clock and score for people like ESPN, FSN, CBS College Sports, and others.

— Adam Minichino

FOLLOW THE SCRIPT Here is the script producer Eric Posman set up for the game: Open Format 1. SEC Network In-Bump 2. Title page 3. SEC standings 4. On camera with talent 5. Quick Hit: Mississippi State men back home 6. Star Watch: MSU’s Jarvis Varnado and LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell 7. Starting lineups 8. Coaches or tip Advancer Format 1. Matchup Locator 2. On Camera 3. MSU 3-point shooting woes graphic 4. Tasmin Mitchell warmup/up next

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

The replay operators have to pay close attention to each screen to see which camera gets the best angle they can use for a highlight to be included in a broadcast.

Pre-Game Responsibilities 1. One-minute advancer on MSU’s 3-point shooting 2. Twelve-second scene set (Locator, Jarvis Varnado, color with next up) Money (Sponsors) Open billboards (Geico, Champion) Closing billboards (Havoline, Papa John’s) Champion “How do you play” Havoline “Road to Nashville” Cellular South halftime report Krystal first-half statistics Geico Play of the Game Promos SEC Network — Alabama vs.

Auburn next SEC Network — Next week (with video)

Clips Tasmin Mitchell 38 points vs.

Auburn; MSU victory at Ole Miss; Champion “How do you play” Graphics Dean’s list (underrated coaches in SEC history) 6-foot and under — SEC great guards Great performances in SEC Key IDs in crowd SEC news and notes SEC standings (update) Trent Johnson résumé Tasmin Mitchell career games/points Jarvis Varnado career doubledoubles/triple/doubles, blocks MSU’s 3-point shooting woes (with Ravern Johnson, Dee Bost) Renardo Sidney headshot

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

This is a piece of equipment the replay operators use to control which replays they select to highlight standout plays in a broadcast. lead, he will do replays as requested from my assigned cameras (two), and he is responsible for editing together "packages,” which can be player related (like MSU’s Ravern Johnson’s 3- pointers from a half), subject driven (MSU’s ability to score in the paint), entertainment (quick flash emotions going to or coming out of break). The “emotion bumps” sometimes are edited to specific music and are designed to flow and to cut with the music.

Kingery said a game day usually consists of a call time, which is six or seven hours before the game. We check and calibrate our machines and systems. Pre-Production is done before we take a lunch break. Pre-Pro may consist of putting music and graphics on a package (like a flashback to last season’s game.

The edited package is

enhanced with music and words that explain the story.

After lunch, the announcers review packages and graphics that will be used in the game.

This way, they are ready to explain what the fan is seeing and hearing.

We will record the opening segment about 10 minutes to game time. This affords us the flexibility not to interrupt the National Anthem and on-court lineup announcements.

After the game, Kingery said he and other replay operators will record off the highlights to a tape and to a traveling disk.

These clips will be used in future game promos and packages. He then assists everyone in packing the truck up, which can take from 45 minutes to two hours depending on the size of the show and the cable runs needed.

— Adam Minichino

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

A member of the camera crew warms up some of the raucous Mississippi State fans before the game. The clip was used as part of a highlight package coming back from timeouts.

PRODUCER / DIRECTOR / ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Eric Posman likens what the members of a broadcast team do to a professional athlete.

Posman has been around sports in plenty of cities to know how pro athletes do their jobs. He was based in Bristol, Conn., the home of ESPN, before he went freelance. He also has lived in New York for six years, in Omaha, Neb., for three years, in Kalamazoo, Mich., for three years, and now lives in Savannah, Ga. His wife, who received a degree from Mississippi State, is in local TV. Posman, who has been producing college basketball since 1996, has worked as a producer for baseball, football, basketball, boxing, and tennis, but he admits he mainly is a college football and basketball guy. When he isn’t producing sports, he spends about five months out of the year taking care of his kids, which helps prepare him for the whirlwind that is the nature of producing a game.

Posman also worked as a graphics coordinator “many years ago”, which he said helps him appreciate the jobs the other people on his crew have to do. He typically works with different people for every game, so he said it is essential to be able to relate to people and to adapt his style to fit their needs.

“There are different ways to produce a game.

There are the hands-on everything approach and then there is the delegate-to-other-people approach,” Posman said. “As long as people know what they’re doing, you delegate and you keep your eye on the big picture.”

Posman said for a lot of his career he was a hands-on-everything type of producer. He said he has grown smarter as he has aged, which has helped him stay focused on the most important ingredient to any broadcast.

“What is most important is being able to tell the story of the game and making sure that

the next day.

“I try to beat mildly beat myself up if I have made a mistake so it won’t happen again and then you move on,” Dave said. “You have to be like a cornerback, I guess. It is over. Don’t do it again.”

But Posman is the man in charge. Burchett said the producer “is where the buck stops”, and he will be the one called if a sponsor’s spot fails to run.

It’s the responsibility of the associate director, in this case Jil Gossard-Cook, to remind Posman which spots still needs to run. She has them timed so they can be placed into breaks in action.

“They are overlooked,” Posman said.

Said Burchett, “When they’re doing a good job back there it makes our job enormously easier.”

— Adam Minichino

“At the end of the day it is about a better viewing experience for everybody at home.

Hopefully all of us in the business take advantage of the technology and how we’re presenting the game to people.”

Talent Continued from Page 1B On Jan. 30, Baker and Joe Dean Jr. teamed as part of the SEC Network and ESPN/ESPN Regional Television’s broadcast of the LSU-Mississippi State men’s basketball game at Humphrey Coliseum.

Baker and Dean Jr. are veterans of the Southeastern Conference and have worked together on numerous occasions. Their familiarity with the teams and with each other made their assignment easier, but their goal was, and always is, to use their background to tell the storylines and to keep the viewers interested.

“Rather than some formal presentation, I hope what I am doing comes off very much as though two guys are at a bar talking about a game,” Baker said.

“I want it be very conversational. Hopefully I am talking about the same things people who are watching at home are talking about.”

Baker has been a sports anchor, repor ter, and account executive at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Ky., since 1982. He has performed in a variety of other roles, and in 2010 joined ESPN as a play-by-play announcer for the SEC Network, Regional Television’s syndication network.

announcers get what they need and our sales obligations are filled,” Posman said.

Posman said a producer typically scripts only the beginning of the show. That’s when the crew sets the scene and tells the viewers what to watch for. It’s then his job to watch the cameras and tell the graphics men which statistics to highlight so the director can cue them in at the right times.

As director, Dave Burchett is in charge when the game is going on. He is constantly talking with the cameramen and bouncing from location to location to make sure he can put the best image on your television. When there is a break, the producer is in charge.

Burchett also works as director of Texas Rangers baseball. This year will be his 28th year with the club. He said no one on the crew can get too high or too low because, like professional athletes, they usually have to do another game

Dave Baker, SEC play-by-play announcer Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

Joe Dean Jr., left, and Dave Baker are veterans when it comes to covering the SEC.

His background in the SEC dates to the league’s syndicated broadcast package for Jef fersonPilot, Lincoln Financial, and Raycom Spor ts in 1993. He has worked as a football sideline reporter and the host of the “SEC Football Today” pregame show, a play-by-play announcer for SEC basketball games on Raycom Sports, and as a courtside reporter for the SEC men’s basketball tournament.

In 2008, Baker was in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta when a tornado hit the building while the was in tournament

progress.

Baker’s years in the league gives him a unique experience that few broadcasters have these days.

Still, he said it’s important to remain focused and to let the games carr y the broadcast and to fill in impor tant statistics or analysis when needed.

“At the end of the day it is about a better viewing experience for everybody at home,” Baker said.

“Hopefully all of us in the business take advantage of the technology and how we’re presenting the game to people.”

Dean Jr., whose father,

Joe Sr., worked as an analyst for the SEC Game of the Week from 1969-87, also has strong ties to the SEC. He has been working as a broadcaster for SEC basketball games for more than 15 years. He does that work as an individual contractor. His full-time job is athletic director at Birmingham-Southern.

Dean Jr. said he has a passion for SEC basketball, which he tries to convey on each broadcast. He also tries to tie in an element of history by incorporating his father’s catchphrase “string music” at some point in each of his

broadcasts. Dean Jr.’s father used “string music” whenever a player hits a long-range shot.

In addition to growing up with a father who was a broadcaster, Dean Jr. played basketball at Mississippi State and he coached the sport for 17 years. He said all of those experiences help him when he cobbles together information and has to be quick with analysis at a moment’s notice.

“I think I can break things down and explain them in simple terms,” Dean Jr. said. “I can tell them what is going on offensively and defensively what strategy they are

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

Five cameras were used to capture the action. The operators keep lineups close by to follow the action.

employing to win the game to give fans a little insight to what they’re watching. I don’t need to tell them what’s happening. I need to tell them why it’s happening.”

Dean Jr. said he tries not to have play-by-play announcers have to adjust to his style. He said he always attempts to stay flexible and to follow the lead of his partner or of the producer who is talking to him through his headset.

The announcers, or “talent” and they are called

professionally, typically talk with the producer and other members of the crew before the game to determine their storylines.

The discuss what graphics and statistics might be used to best illustrate the keys to the game.

Those elements are at the ready when needed, as is a helpful assist from Baker to help set up Dean Jr. for his analysis. Baker said that teamwork between the announcers is equally critical for the rest of the crew because a cameraman’s great shots will

help a replay operator capture a game-changing play and allow the director and producer to coordinate what the talent will have to analyze.

“The game is what the broadcast is all about,” Dean Jr. said. “I am a lot better today than when I star ted 15 years ago. I understand the broadcast better and what the producer wants and how to work easier with the playby-play announcer because you have to be able to think on your feet.

You have to be able to jump in and say what you have to say and jump out.

You have to let the game breathe and not talk all of the time. I think I have learned that through practice.”

Baker said he, too, is always looking to improve his craft. He said good announcers are like good officials in that they’re not noticed when they do their job. The key for him is following the storyline and working with his partner to stay on track.

“If we’re keeping it entertaining and keeping up with the timeouts, the foul situation, and talking strategy we become complimentary. We’re part of the game. We’re not the story. At the end of the day if people are talking about the game and not the announcers on average we have done a good job.”

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

One of the five camera operators stationed high above the court inside Humphrey Coliseum takes a break from the pregame preparations.

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

The audio operator has monitors to watch in his booth as well as an assortment of levels and tones to check in the truck. He is responsible for the communication in the truck.

Stan Beall/Special to the Dispatch

Director Dave Burchett, right, examines some graphics before the start of the game.

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6B SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

SWIMMING

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Capuano, Muller bring passion for sports to telecasts

BY ADAM MINICHINO aminichino@cdispatch.com

Contributed

Swim Columbus will send 20 athletes to the Mississippi Swimming, Inc. Short Course State Championships in Laurel on Friday. The swimmers who will compete are (first row, L-R) Alex Phillips, Moak Griffin, Georgiana Brown, Ladd Chain; (second row, L-R) Thomas Chain, Noah Smith, John Isaac Stafford, Aaron Meek, Hunter Quinn; (third row, L-R) Coach Chris Chain, Elelia Phillips, Sara Frances Neal, Ann Marie Chilcutt, Corey Persons, Gray Balthis, Avery Smith, Parker Sumrall. Not Pictured: Silas, Micah, Isaiah and Noah Knox

Swim Columbus has 20 going to State FROM SPECIAL REPORTS

Swim Columbus will send 20 athletes to the 2010 Mississippi Swimming, Inc., Short Course State Championships on Friday through Sunday at the Laurel Natatorium in Laurel.

The meet will feature the state’s top age-group swimmers, and will begin Friday with the senior girls 200-yard freestyle relay. The meet will conclude Sunday with the boys 15 and older 1,650 free.

The following Swim Columbus members will compete: n Boys 10-and-under — Thomas Chain, 9, 50 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 100 fly, 100 breast, 100 IM, 50 back, and 500 free; Moak

Griffin, 9, 100 free, 50 fly, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, 200 free, 100 IM, and 50 back; and Noah Knox, 9, 100 free, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 breast, 200 free, 100 IM, and 50 back. n Boys 11-12 — Ladd Chain, 12, 100 free, 50 breast, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 breast, and 100 IM; Isaiah Knox, 12, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 breast, 100 IM, and 50 back; Aaron Meek, 11, 100 free, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, 100 IM, and 50 back; Thomas Phillips, 11, 100 free, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, and 50 back; Hunter Quinn, 12, 100 free and 50 free; Noah Smith, 11, 100 free, 50 fly, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 back, and 50 back; John Stafford, 11, 50 breast and 50 free. n Boys 13-14 — Gray Balthis, 14, 200 free, 50 free, 100 back, 100 free, and 200 back; Micah Knox, 14, 100

breast, 50 free, and 100 free; Corey Persons, 14, 200 free, 100 fly, 50 free, 100 back, 100 free, 200 IM, and 200 back; and Parker Sumrall, 14, 200 free, 100 breast, 400 IM, 50 free, 200 breast, 100 free, and 200 IM. n Boys 15-and-over — Silas Knox, 16, 50 free and 100 free. n Girls 10-and-under — Georgiana Brown, 9, 50 breast, 100 breast, 100 IM, and 50 back. n Girls 13-14 — Sara Frances Neal, 13, 200 free, 100 breast, 50 free, 200 breast, 100 back, and 100 free; Elelia Phillips, 14, 50 free and 100 free; Avery Smith, 14, 200 free, 100 fly, 50 free, 200 fly, 500 free, 100 free, and 200 IM. n Girls 15-and-over — Ann Marie Chilcutt, 17, 100 breast, 400 IM, 50 free, 200 breast, 100 back, 200 IM, and 200 back.

OLYMPICS

Protesters smash department store windows

BY ANNE M. PETERSON The Associated Press VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Police in riot gear confronted more than 200 masked protesters who hurled newspaper boxes through the display windows of a popular department store selling Olympic souvenirs.

Seven people were arrested after officers carrying clubs and shields quashed the downtown protest on the opening day of competition at the Vancouver Olympics. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Those arrested could face a variety of charges, including assault, Police Chief Jim Chu said. At least

one could be charged with weapons possession for wrapping a bicycle chain around his fist and threatening passers-by. None of the protesters was immediately identified.

Chu said police knew in advance about the protest, but decided to move in once they knew “criminals” were involved.

Authorities said they were wary of masked anarchists who dress in black and use a tactic called “Black Block” to hide their identities.

Among them was a loosely organized group from central Canada known to disrupt events that draw media coverage, police said.

“Their tactic is to hide within the ranks of legitimates protesters,” Chu said.

He maintained that about half the protesters were “criminals intent ... on committing violent acts, including damage to property, including assaulting passers-by.”

The protest was originally organized by the Olympic Resistance Network to “disturb ’business as usual”’ in Vancouver.

The most prominent involved native Indians who want to reclaim their property (“No Olympics on Stolen Ancient Land”) and those angry over the amount of money spent on Olympics as opposed to public housing (“Homes Not Games”).

Phone calls to the group were not immediately returned.

STARKVILLE — There’s no doubt Cara Capuano and Robin Muller love sports.

Capuano grew up the daughter of a sports fan.

Some of her earliest memories involve sports — pitcher watching Fernando Valenzuela with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and attending the AFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 8, 1984, in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with her father when she was 10 years old.

Muller can appreciate those memories because she has been a part of just as many as a longtime college basketball coach and college administrator.

That bond with sports helped them hit it off when they met the first time on a plane the day before they were scheduled to broadcast the University of TennesseeMississippi State women’s basketball game on Jan. 10 at Humphrey Coliseum as part of the SEC Network package of games on the ESPN family of networks.

Capuano also has worked for Fox Sports Net and at KCOP in Los Angeles and at KCTZ in Bozeman, Mont. She said ESPN does a good job finding people who work well together. She said the people she has worked with typically are “sports nerds” who have the same love for the craft and enjoy being part of the games.

“I could see in Robin’s face the same kind of enthusiasm when we were talking to the coaches,” Capuano said. “I think it starts there. They hire the right people that can immediately get along with people.”

Capuano will be Starkville again at 4:25 p.m. today with LaChina Robinson as part of ESPN’s February Frenzy game between the University of Mississippi and MSU. The game is one of eight Sunday and two Monday ESPN will broadcast to support the Kay Yow/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Cancer Fund for women’s cancer research in partnership with the V Foundation.

“My role is to be able to get both Robin’s fan part of it but also Robin as a former player. I want to be the voice of the fan at home and ask, ‘Why is this happening?’ ”

Cara Capuano, ESPN play-by-play announcer

The Cancer Fund is named for Yow, the former North Carolina State women’s basketball coach, who died Jan. 24, 2009, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Yow’s impact and influence on college basketball, and that of former N.C. State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano, who helped create the V Foundation, an organization that raises money for cancer research, likely will be part of the storyline for all of the games, which can be seen on ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN360.com.

Valvano won a national championship at N.C. State in 1983, and later became known for the inspirational speech he gave at the ESPY Awards eight weeks before he died of cancer.

Last month, though, Capuano was in Starkville with Muller to work the game.

Tennessee-MSU After immediately hitting it off on the plane and meeting producer Matt, they set out to formulate their game plan for the broadcast.

They tapped into their passion for sports and talked about what stories they wanted to tell the viewers and the best ways they could tell them.

Capuano said broadcasters, who are called “talent,” typically work with multiple partners in a week, so it can be a challenge to develop a rhythm with someone and learn their speech patterns and likes and dislikes.

But a love for sports makes it easier to find common ground.

“My role is to be able to get both Robin’s fan part

See PASSION, 7B

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Powers back for final season at MSU

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STARKVILLE — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ loss is the Mississippi State baseball team’s gain.

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pro.

That wasn’t the case for Connor Powers, who turned down a chance to work his way through the Dodgers minor league system and a shot at the big time to return to Year 2 of John Cohen’s building plan at Mississippi State.

Why he opted to come back after being selected with the 337th pick in the 2009 draft doesn’t matter to Bulldogs fans, as he returns a team-high 19 home runs and 63 RBI this season. But for the sake of his future career as a pro, Powers felt there was more to polish up before making the jump.

He made his decision despite the possibility of hurting his draft stock for 2010.

“There’s a lot of thought amongst players and kids my age that are like ‘junior year I got to get drafted,’” Powers said during Thursday’s preseason press conference.

“For some reason there’s some phenomenon that people think when you’re a senior you can’t make it.”

Powers ranked in the top 10 of the SEC in home

runs and RBI but wasn’t satisfied with his overall performance last year.

Both he and Cohen felt good about his defense at first base, but as a hitter the Illinois native knew there was plenty of work to be done.

Powers said he, like other players who have a chance to turn pro, has a checklist for areas of improvement.

“When you’re here (college level) and you’re in a slump or you’re not hitting very well, for whatever reason you got a safety net; you can sit on the bench,” Powers said. “If you do that in professional baseball, you go home and you get a get a tag in your locker.

“I did hit 19 home runs, but a the same time I thought I could have done a lot better hitting.

There’d be certain situations where all I had to do is hit a drive ball to shortstop and I’d try and hit it over Left Field Lounge. I think I’ve done a real good job with understanding the game. There were parts of last year when I’d rear back and see how far I could hit. It kind of led to

a lot of strikeouts in crucial situations that hurt us.”

The team’s hurt, for more reasons outside Powers and his understanding of the strike zone, resulted in a 25-29 record last season. The senior mentioned his personal accomplishments were somewhat subdued by the team’s lack of success, though he isn’t returning to school just to rally the team for a spot in the Southeastern Conference tournament and hopefully the NCAA tournament.

Conners offered an additional explanation, though he didn’t go into salary details, for why he turned down the Dodgers for returning to school.

“Unless you’re not a high round guy, after that it’s really kind of you’re expectations personally against what the club sees for you,” he said. “My expectations weren’t really met. I was very comfortable coming back to school and getting my degree. It would have taken a lot for me to forgo my senior year.”

THE DISPATCH • www.cdispatch.com

OUTDOORS

Sunglasses serve many purposes to those who enjoy outdoors M

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

7B

MSU Women Continued from Page 1B

support breast cancer awareness. The game will be sponsored by the OCH Breast and Health Imaging.

The MSU President’s son.

Commission on the Status of ost water sports men Schultz was practicing for Women will provide pink and women you see a tournament at Lake Toho shoelaces, headbands, and wear sunglasses. in Florida. He took his son wristbands.

Anglers wear them to see with him and during the day, MSU doesn’t have much better while fishing. his son made a wide back margin for error as it winds With polarized lenses, you cast with a floating Rapala down the regular season. are able to see underwater jerkbait. The multiple treble Vanderbilt, Florida, and Ole stumps and other cover that hooks hit Schultz in the Miss are tied for fourth at 6-5, will likely hold a fish or face.

South Carolina and Georgia two. During bedding season, All three treble hooks are tied at 6-6, and LSU is at 5anglers that bed fish wear deflected off of his sunglass- 6 in the league. polarized sunglasses to spot Kevin Forrester es and embedded into his After today’s game against fish while they are on the face. Ouch! I have personally Ole Miss, MSU has games bed. had to remove hooks out of myself, but remaining against Auburn Pleasure boats are filled with men, never from my face.

(Feb. 21 at home), at Alabama women and children and most of them The point here with Schultz is that if (Feb. 25), and at LSU (Feb. are wearing sunglasses for a number of he hadn’t had sunglasses on, he could 28). The Lady Bulldogs reasons. Some wear them because of be walking around blind today. defeated Auburn and having to squint in the sunlight. Others Overcast skies is a time of overlooked Alabama earlier this season. wear them to look stylish. exposure.

They swept LSU last season, The truth behind wearing sunglasses I know many have heard that somebut LSU drubbed Florida 70during water sports is more important one went to the beach and did not put 30 on Thursday. than any of the above. on sun protection because it was cloudy.

MSU would like a victory Sunglasses should be worn anytime They returned to the room with suntoday to keep it ahead of you are on the water because of UV sun burn.

Florida, which it lost twice to protection. Mega millions of dollars are This is the same thing that happens this season, and prevent a seaspent every year on sun protection for to our eyes. son sweep by Ole Miss, which the skin, but not nearly enough money Sunglasses come in several colors for would drop the Lady Bulldogs is spent to protect the eye. lenses. Most professional anglers carry behind two teams in the event Cataracts, which we peg on the older at least three different color sunglasses of a tiebreaker. generation, is one of the most documentwith them in their boat. Schultz, by the MSU coach Sharon ed problems seen by doctors in relation way, carries seven.

Fanning-Otis said all SEC to water sports enthusiasts not wearing In the low-light time of the morning, games are important at this sun protection for their eyes. most will have a yellow lens pair resting stage, and that the Lady Another well-documented problem is on their nose. I own a pair of yellow lens Bulldogs continue to push to cancer around the eyes. and they really help in low light and in find ways to win games, to Still another problem is sand and dirt the foggy areas. play hard and together, and to getting in the eye from the debris flying The next color is amber. The amber execute. She said the team’s off the carpet while boating. lens is the primary color for the day. It victory Thursday was impresBut, anglers also use sunglasses for works fine in sunny or overcast condisive because it outlasted a physical protection. tions. good team on its home floor I challenge all anglers that have The other color is gray. When the sun that had been playing well. access to a computer to look up fish is bright and high, gray is the other hook eye surgery on choice. www.youtube.com. You will see that this I love my Costa Del Mar Continued from Page 1B isn’t a very big hook so this applies to all sunglasses. But every weekend fisherand four assists to help the anglers. man shouldn’t have to spend $200 on a (18-7, 6-4 Whether you are bream, crappie, catpair sunglasses. You can go to Wal-Mart Bulldogs Southeastern Conference) fish or bass fishing, wear sunglasses for and buy a decent pair of polarized suneye protection. glasses for less than $20. They won’t be move into a tie with Arkansas, which lost to I personally know of one angler who the best, but they will protect you from lost his eye due to the fish coming off physical mishaps and the UV rays. Just Alabama, for first place in the SEC West. and the weight and hook came back to make sure you buy the ones that are Barr y Stewart (12 labeled “Polarized”. his face. The weight hit him in the eye points, six rebounds, five and he is forever blinded in that eye.

Kevin Forrester contributes an outdoor assists), Romero Osby (11 Bernie Schultz, a BASS touring professional, even reported having a similar column to The Commercial Dispatch each points), Jarvis Varnado (10 points, 12 rebounds, five accident. His accident was not caused by week. He can be contacted at gonefishblocked shots), and Phil ing39701@yahoo.com. his equipment, but that of his 9-year old Turner (10 points, six rebounds) also scored in double figures for MSU. Continued from Page 1B And while Turner and Osby had key plays at the end Phillips, a freshman, of regulation and Varnado’s do all year.” time.

Tate wasn’t the only “Cherry making it into ran a personal-best 5 min- hook shot at the start of OT Mississippi State athlete to the final is a great thing,” utes, 2.13 seconds to finish gave the Bulldogs the lead for enjoy success Friday. Schmidt said. “He’s run- third in the mile run, while good, Bost’s play was the D’Angelo ning against top competi- Wilson, recorded a per- spark that helped MSU rally.

Sophomore sonal-best 55.06 in the 400Cherry ran 6.64 seconds tion here.”

“Bost hurt us at the point Lady Bulldogs Chloe meter dash. Wilson’s time position tonight,” Auburn in the preliminary round and Cr ystal was good to move her to coach Jeff Lebo said. “We did of the 60-meter dash to Phillips enter Friday evening’s Wilson also shined on the second all-time in MSU not guard him very well history. final with the third-fastest track. tonight.”

Bost’s seven 3-pointers were the second most in school history. Four players Continued from Page 1B have made eight, with the last Courtney Fortson made the sluggish start was out being Winston Frazier against the game for us.”

Missouri-Kansas City on Nov. Alabama (14-11, 4-7 1 of 2 free throws with 36 of character for the Tide.

“Some guys’ heads 23, 2004. He also is the first Southeastern Conference) seconds left to cut rallied from a 13-point Alabama’s lead to 67-66. weren’t in the game, includ- player to score 30 or more points since Varnado had 31 deficit early in the second Arkansas quickly fouled ing mine,” Green said.

Torrance had 12 points last season against LSU. half to snap a four-game Mikhail Torrance who, like “It just took work and I Green and Brock, made and Senario Hillman added losing streak. guess I finally found (my 11 for the Tide, who had a The Razorbacks (13-12, both shots from the line. stroke),” Bost said. “I just 38-24 The Razorbacks’ only commanding 6-4) had won five straight advantage. have to keep it going.” games to take the SEC basket in the final 2 min- rebounding Varnado’s hook shot with West lead but couldn’t fin- utes came on Fortson’s Brock had 10 points, five 2:49 to go in OT gave MSU drive with 8 seconds left. assists and three steals. ish this one out. the lead for good. Bost scored Fortson led Arkansas “When they made their Brock then secured the with 18 points and six on a drive with the shot clock run, I kind of felt like we victory from the line.

“It just came down to assists but he was only 5 of running down to kick the lead backed off,” said Rotnei Clark, who was held to who wanted it the most,” 17 shooting and committed to 78-74. He then added a dagger 3-pointer after he went left eight points, half his sea- Green said, “and we did five turnovers.

Mike Washington had off a high screen from son average. “We knew we tonight.”

Green had 22 points and 12 points before fouling Varnado to push the lead to could have won this game nine rebounds and made out in the final minutes and 81-75. You could almost tell very easily.”

For much of the game, all but one of his 13 free Marshawn Powell added the 3-pointer was going to fall because Bost had the same throw attempts. He said 10. it looked like they would.

But Fanning-Otis also knows things won’t be as easier today just because MSU is at home.

“I see us still competing and learning, and I see us growing as a team,” FanningOtis said, “but I see Ole Miss has grown, too, as well as everybody else in the league.”

Fanning-Otis said focus will be imperative if the Lady Bulldogs are going to rise above the parity in the SEC that she said is “beyond description.” To avoid getting caught in the flip flopping, Fanning-Otis hopes her players understand every possession in each game could be the difference in seeding come tournament time.

Senior guard Alexis Rack understands what the Lady Bulldogs have to do. Rack snapped out of a 10-for-60 shooting slump (6-for-37 from 3-point range) by going 6 of 14 from the field and scoring a team-high 15 points against South Carolina.

Rack said she didn’t think during the game against South Carolina how a victory would help the Lady Bulldogs in the SEC standings. She admitted, though, to examining the standings when she got to the team bus for the ride to the airport.

“It was a very important win because we had the same record as three teams and we would have just went further to the bottom of the SEC (if we would have lost),” Rack said. “(When she got back to the bus), I was happy with

where we moved and definitely excited about the win.”

MSU trailed 39-33 with 7 minutes, 45 seconds to go in regulation before using a 13-0 run to gain control. South Carolina had two chances to tie the game in the final minutes, but MSU held on.

Rack said the Lady Bulldogs need to put teams away when they get a chance.

She said the Lady Bulldogs remain focused on winning, and that she believes everything will fall into place if everyone has the right attitude.

“I think we have to get more focused and try not to start slacking,” Rack said. “If we do (slack off), we need to regroup quicker.”

Ole Miss capitalized on MSU’s change in energy level in the first meeting. The Rebels shot 57.7 percent in the second half, forced 18 turnovers, and held a 35-25 edge in rebounding.

Rack said she remembers the Lady Bulldogs not being the aggressor, especially in the second half. She said she doesn’t feel MSU has anything to prove today, but coming off a season sweep of Ole Miss last season, she knows what a victory today would mean for her team.

Fanning-Otis also knows how much a victory against Ole Miss would help her team. She said the Lady Bulldogs are focused on not committing the same mistakes today that they made in the first meeting against the Lady Rebels.

flick of the wrist he showed at the end of halftime.

“I always have confidence,” Bost said. “It is just a matter of how much confidence I am going to have to take the shot. I am just going to keep working on my shot and it will come back.”

Lebo knew Bost would be hard to guard despite the fact he was stuck in a 14-for-54 slump (25.9 percent). The sophomore point guard had hit only 5-for-30 from 3-point range until breaking out in a big way Saturday.

“Last year, he hurt us in both games, and he hurt us again tonight,” Lebo said.

There were eight lead changes in the final 10 minutes. A steal by Turner on a drive by Lucas Hargrove (20 points, 10 rebounds) with less than a minute to play in regulation helped set up a dunk by Osby off a pass from Stewart.

Osby completed the threepoint play with 30 seconds remaining, but DeWayne Reed scored on a drive with 16 seconds to go to tie that game at 74.

Bost had a chance to win it in regulation, but he lost a shot/pass in the lane with 2.1 seconds left.

Auburn set up one final play, as Frankie Sullivan swooped across at three-quarter quarter and contacted Turner, but no call was made.

Sullivan’s heave at the basket fell well short.

In the OT, Auburn went 0for-9 from the field en route to its second consecutive loss in extra time. The Tigers lost at Arkansas 82-79 in OT on Feb. 6.

MSU coach Rick Stansbury praised Lebo and his players for their effort,

saying the Tigers are one of the hardest teams to guard in the SEC. He had even more kind words for Bost and his shooting performance.

“It was a great individual effort by Dee Bost,” Stansbury said. “When Dee got going he was in a rhythm and shot it with a lot of confidence, attacked with confidence, and made a lot of plays.”

Bost said he felt his shooting stroke come to him early in the game and he continued to play hard. He missed his first 3-pointer and then scored on a layup and a conventional three-point play.

By the time Bost had missed his second 3-pointer, Auburn (12-13, 3-7) had taken a 31-17 lead and was threatening to run away with it.

But Bost found his touch with a 3-pointer with 6 minutes, 4 seconds remaining in the half. He added two more in 52 seconds that helped settle MSU and allowed them to trail only 38-35 at halftime. n NOTES: Varnado’s five blocks give him 519 for his career, which leaves him 16 shy of tying the all-time NCAA mark of 535 held by Louisiana-Monroe’s Wojciech Mydra. His 12 rebounds pushed his career total to 1,010 and helped him become the third player in school history to reach 1,000. ...

Stewart’s three 3-pointers give him 254 for his career, which is four shy of tying Darryl Wilson’s school record of 258. ... Ravern Johnson played just four minutes in the second half after getting bumper hard on the nose. He had only three points. Osby picked up the slack by tying a season high with 24 minutes.

fan passion, the energy, the intensity, and the product on the field was so superior.

What a delight. On the sidelines, I try to think like a fan and what am I seeing that they would love to see right now and how can I tell them about that.”

All broadcasters try to do the same thing when they are courtside or in a booth. They try not to use the same phrase multiple times in a game and feel they are at their best when they enhance the broadcast with informative storylines and insightful commentary and analysis.

Their goal is to let the viewers at home feel the energy in a venue and to let the action play out.

“When you go back and watch and feel like as a team

you enhanced instead of detracted, that is a positive broadcast,” Capuano said. “If I use 7 percent of what I have prepared, that might be the most. I need to know all of the stats. I want to have everything on hand, and a lot of it is preparation you might not use it.

“Even if what the fan at home is seeing looks a little bit unpredictable and shaky, as long as you can try to communicate and enhance it, not sounding unpredictable and shaky, that is a big plus.

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in seven straight turnovers and what’s going on and I am speechless.

Having a good game is a nice foundation, and we have the pleasure of covering some of the best teams (in the SEC).”

MSU Men

Tate

Alabama

Passion Continued from Page 6B of it but also Robin as a former coach, Robin as a former player,” Capuano said. “I want to be the voice of the fan at home and ask, ‘Why is this happening?’ ” Capuano spent the fall as a sideline reporter working ESPN’s SEC Network package of football games. She worked with analyst Andrew Ware, the former University of Houston quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1989, and with former University of Georgia and Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Matt Stinchcomb on SEC Weekly, a studio show dedicated to the Southeastern Conference.

Even though she considers herself to be “an educated

fan,” she said she learned more about football in those four to five months than she knew existed.

“The opportunity to work hand in hand with analysts has taught me more about the sports I loved growing up than I might have been able to learn as a player,” Capuano said. “When you’re a player, you’re a child and it is a maturing process and it takes a long time to really get a game, any game, at the level of a professional athlete.

“It really is a gift that the best analysts are great teachers and they show us a little perspective or something we might not have thought of before. If I see something I think they can develop into a teaching point that not only will wow me but also the fans

at home, I try to get that from them.”

Muller, who has a full-time job as associate athletic director for compliance and student services and senior woman administrator at Newberry College, has been a broadcaster since 2001. She spent seven years as head women’s basketball coach at Winthrop University and five years as director of operations for the University of South Carolina women’s basketball program.

Muller said women’s basketball is her passion, and she tries to pour that enthusiasm into her TV work. She said watching games with her mother helps her understand the questions that fans might ask as they watch matchups.

“I feel my role is to explain the picture and explain what you’re seeing,” Muller said.

“If something is happening on the floor, why is it happening or how does it come about? It is more of why, how, the whats of the game.”

Capuano and Muller said they go back and watch games to evaluate their broadcasts. They said the chemistry between broadcasters develops with time, but a love for all sports helps build that spark faster.

“I am just a sports fan first,” Capuano said. “Joy is one word, but what an incredible experience walking the sidelines of SEC football games this season. Thirteen straight regular-season games at these places I had only dreamed of visiting. The

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8B SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010

AREA OBITUARIES

SERVING YOU SINCE 1893

Dr. George Myers Services: 2:00 pm Sunday Feb. 14, 2010 New Covenant Baptist Church

detailed biographical information and other details families may wish to include, are available for a fee. Obituaries must be submitted through funeral homes. Free notices must be submitted to the newspaper no later than 3 p.m. the day prior for publication Tuesday through Friday; no later than 4 p.m.

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Denver Baker, 74, died Feb. 13, 2010, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Calvert Funeral Home.

Denver Baker

David Fortner

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would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Pastor & Mrs. Grant Mitchell for all of your prayers, visits, and words of encouragement during this time of need.

We would also like to thank Caledonia United Pentecostal Church, Caledonia, MS. for the use of the church facilities and the music and songs for the funeral service.

And for all who brought food and served our family before and after the funeral service, thank you so much.

Our family will never forget your thoughtfulness and kindness during our time of grief.

May God Bless You All, Rhoda, Timothy, Titus, Samuel, Sharon and Beckie

Bobby Orson Edwards Bobby Orson Edwards began his life’s journey on April 10, 1934 in the tiny community of Hustburg, TN and he ended his fortunate pilgrimage February 11, 2010 in Columbus, MS. He was the beloved son of predeceased Robert & Earlene Edwards and brother to Carolyn Lee. After his 1952 graduation from Tribble High School and his Air Force enlistment; Nancy Richardson, his high school sweetheart joined him in marriage and together they spent the next fifty five years loving and caring for each other while raising a family.

In 1956 Staff Sergeant Edwards was a one of the Air Force’s youngest Crew Chiefs on a B-47 Stratojet Bomber with the Strategic Air Command.

He was proud to have served his country in uniform and later as a civilian.

In 1958 he was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes and in spite of the debilitating nature of this insidious disease, he never faltered in his quest to do things… all things flat out. It never slowed him down because he would not let it.

After being mustered out of the service, he moved his family first back to Tennessee for a few years and then finally to Mississippi. Mr. Bobby, as he was so fondly known to friends and colleagues, has lived in the Caledonia, MS community with his family since 1964 where he owned and operated a successful part time auto repair shop while employed at Columbus Air Force Base as Hangar Chief for Aero Repair. He retired in 1992.

At CAFB, he was recognized by his peers and superiors as one of the country’s foremost experts on the flight controls of the Northrop T-38 Talon jet fighter / trainer. He was honored with the multiple letters of commendation for superior performance, the President’s Award for Distinguished Service, the ATC Commander’s Trophy and the 1987 Air Training Command Outstanding Manager award.

His passion was for anything and everything mechanical. He had a boundless thirst for knowledge of what made things move and how to improve their operation. His interests ranged from autos, motorcycles, building & flying remote control aircraft, to restoring & showing antique engines. He was an avid hunter, a passionate gun collector & shooter, and he loved the great outdoors. He enjoyed motorsports as well as the occasional personal trip to the edge whether in a fast car or on his motorcycle.

He loved speed and things that went fast.

His interest in the Old West led him to enjoy western novels and ultimately to his and Nancy’s western vacations in the van that he customized for them to camp in. They crisscrossed the West on several occasions and he simply could not repress the urge to take the van out on a “speed” run at the Bonneville Salt Flats even though it took hours to clean the salt off of it later.

In spite of his broad interests, his family always came first. He was a beloved husband, a cherished Father & Father-in-Law, an adored Grandfather, respected colleague, and trusted friend. Bobby touched many people’s lives in many ways and he took great pride in mentoring young people whether they were assigned to his department at CAFB or simply rubbing elbows under the hood of a hot rod at his shop. He was always young at heart which made his influence invaluable to those that knew him and his health condition. He was and is an inspiration.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Nancy; sons Larry (Mary Ellen) Marietta, GA; Barry (Suzie) - York, SC; and daughter Kimberly BennettPensacola, FL. He was an affectionate Grandfather to Alan- Atlanta, GA; Wade- Athens, GA; and Lauren (Kevin) Sanders Buford, GA and his greatgrandchildren, Hudson & Riley Sanders.

He is also survived by his sister Carolyn Lee, his mother-in-law Edna Richardson, in-laws Sue & Harry Orr and Larry Richardson in addition to several nieces and nephews, and a host of friends whose lives he touched.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Border Springs Baptist Church Building Fund so that others may share and benefit from Mr. Bobby’s outstanding life experience. The address is PO Box 399 Caledonia, MS 39740.

We would also like to thank all of our friends and gracious members of the community for your support and assistance during our loved one’s illness. Your prayers and efforts were greatly appreciated and we could not have made it through this overwhelming test without you. May God bless you all.

On Sunday February 14th, visitation will be held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and a memorial service will immediately follow at 3:00 PM at Lowndes Funeral Home, Columbus MS.

Compliments of

Lowndes Funeral Home www.lowndesfuneralhome.net

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memorialfunerahome.net

PRENTISS — David M. Fortner, 56, died Feb. 13, 2010, at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery in Pickens County, Ala. Visitation is today at 1 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Ellisville State School for Stonebriar Group Home, 1160 Berry St., Prentiss, MS 39474.

Novay of Sarah, and Mark Nichols of Summerville, Tenn.; sisters, Mabel Schumacker, Jean Warf, and Lorine Rackley, all of Tennessee; brother, Charles Montgomery of Millington; and a host of grandchildren.

Orother Mack AMORY — Orother Mack, 90, died Feb. 8, 2010, at her residence.

Services were Saturday at New Prospect MB Church with Pastor George Taylor officiating.

Burial followed in Union Grove Cemetery.

Westbrooks Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

She is survived by her daughter, Georgia Gladney; two grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

Mary Hall

Martha Milligan

SARAH — Mary Christine Montgomery Hall, 81, died Feb. 11, 2010, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville.

Services were Saturday at Norwood Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Jeremy Sorrells officiating. Burial followed in Carter Cemetery of Detroit, Ala. Mrs. Hall was born in Tennessee and was a Baptist. She retired after 30 years as a clerk at Woolworth’s Department Store in Millington, Tenn.

She was preceded in death by several brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her daughter, Trudy Gail Lyons of Horn Lake; sons, Tobey Thomas

SMITHVILLE — Martha Bell Abel Milligan, 92, died Feb. 12, 2010, at Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center of Amory.

Services are today at 1:30 p.m. at E.E. Pickle Funeral Home Chapel in Smithville with Elder Time Cunningham officiating. Burial will follow at Pearce Chapel Cemetery.

Visitation is today until service time at the funeral home.

Mrs. Milligan was born Aug. 8, 1917, in Prentiss County to the late Jasper Shermand and Della Hicks Abel. She lived in Hodges, Ala.; Vina, Ala.; Dennis and Kirkville. She was a master seamstress and worked for Glenn Mfg. before her retire-

Dr. George A. Myers Dr. George A. Myers age 75 died Thursday, February 11, 2010 at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Services will be held Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 2:00 PM at New Covenant Baptist Church with Rev. Gene O'Brian, Rev. Chad O'Brian, and Rev. Tommy Whaley officiating, burial will follow at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery Dr. Myers was born on Wednesday, October 17, 1934 in Crowder, MS to the late Albert Wesley and Annie Lloyd Nichols Myers. He had served as a Baptist Minister for 52 years and was the current pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church. He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his daughter Martha Lynn Myers, his grandson Nathan McCool, and his brother Felix Myers.

Survivors include his wife-Flurette Griffin Myers, Columbus, one daughter, Linda McCool (Gene), Columbus, one son Bruce Myers (Lynn Fulkerson), Columbus, one sister, Norma Jean Ricca (Frank), Conway, AR, two brothers, Davis Earl Myers (Harriet), Atlanta, TX, Van Wesley Myers (Pat), Star City, AR, six grandchildren, Caleb Myers (Lindsey), Emily Myers, Seth Myers, Tommy Gordon (Stephanie), Joshua McCool,Stephanie McCool and five great grandchildren.

The Pallbearers will be Kenneth Moore, Jerry Porter, John Holliman, Frank Jadzinski, William Davis, and Clyde Drewery. Honorary pallbearers will be the men of New Covenant Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to New Covenant Baptist Church 305 Omega Drive, Columbus, MS 39702.

Expressions of Sympathy May Be Left At www.memorialfuneral.net

ment. She was a Baptist.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Philip Edward Milligan; husband, Ellie Neal Milligan; brothers, Dalton, Audie, Melvin, Jack, Lexie, and Earl Abel; and sister, Velma Abel Holland.

She is survived by her son, Garry Milligan, of Smithville; and sister, Vera Alma Abel Davis, of Caledonia.

Pallbearers are Jimmy Abel, Chris and Nick Robinson, Bryan Gustavsen, Zachary Miller, and Jason Ashley.

Mary Moore COLUMBUS — Mary Moore, 50, died Feb. 12, 2010, at Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Carter’s Funeral Services of Columbus.

Mary Richardson STARKVILLE — Mary Fay Williams Richardson, 86, died Feb. 13, 2010, at Baptist Memorial Hospital–Golden Triangle.

Services are Monday at 2 p.m. at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville with the Rev. William T. Richter officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park.

Mrs. Richardson was born to the late Daniel Luther and Mary Emma Bush Richardson Williams.

She was a graduate of Mississippi State College for Women and a stewardess for United Airlines.

She was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Glenn Burton Richardson.

She is survived by her daughters, Camilla Richardson of Columbus, Frances Kennedy of Laurens, S.C., and Playa Del of Rey, Calif.; sons, Glenn Richardson of Wilmington, N.C., and David Richardson of Columbus; brother, Daniel Luther Williams of Wiggins; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Palmer Home for Children, P.O. Box 746, Columbus, MS 39703.

Early Sanders COLUMBUS — Early Sanders, 84, died Feb. 11, 2010, at Baptist Memorial Hospital–Golden Triangle.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Carter’s Funeral Services of Columbus.

James Thomas Newell VERNON, Ala. — James Thomas Newell, 74, died Feb. 13, 2010, at Fayette Medical Center.

Services are Monday at 2 p.m. at Dowdle Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Scotty Stovall and Chester Nash officiating. Burial will follow in Lamar Memorial Gardens in Vernon.

Visitation is today from 69 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mr. Thomas was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009

AUTO RACING

9B

Broadcast Continued from Page 1B

Accident ruins Patrick’s NASCAR debut

By The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Even as her mangled race car belched steam from its radiator in the background, Danica Patrick remained confident she would have good days in NASCAR. This wasn’t one of them.

Making her NASCAR debut, Patrick ran outside the top 20 for most of Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway before getting caught up in a 12-car wreck just past the race’s halfway point.

Patrick was hoping to learn as much as she could about a new style of racing. She ended up going to the school of hard knocks.

“It’s important to have realistic expectations,” Patrick said.

“There’s going to be spikes in performance, I don’t doubt that. But there’s also going to be tough days.

And today, I would say, was more of a tough day.” n Earnhardt Jr. involved in scary crash: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was involved in a frightening, multi-car accident at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

Earnhardt’s car flipped upside down during the Nationwide Series race when the car behind him hooked his rear bumper, sending him sailing onto his roof along the superstretch.

His car was hit several times as it bounced along the track and through the grass, finally flipping back onto its wheels before coming to a stop.

Earnhardt climbed from his car without help, then took the mandatory ambulance ride to the care center. He was released a few minutes later.

Stewart wins fifth Daytona race in six years

BY JENNA FRYER The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kevin Harvick knew his race cars were good enough to get either he or Tony Stewart into Victory Lane.

Once Dale Earnhardt Jr. was out of contention, their path was wide open.

Stewart held off Carl Edwards, Harvick and Justin Allgaier to win the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona International Speedway for the fifth time in six years. Kevin Harvick Inc. owned the car he drove to victory Saturday, as well as in 2005 and 2006.

“They have always given us great race car, every time,” Stewart said.

It was Stewart’s 15th win in a stock car at Daytona, moving him into a tie with Cale Yarborough for third all-time at the storied track. He now trails only Dale Earnhardt (34 wins) and Bobby Allison (16) for most at Daytona.

“I would trade a couple of them just for a win in a Sunday race here,” said Stewart, who is 0 for 11 in the Daytona 500. He’ll start sixth in Sunday’s main event.

Stewart and Harvick clearly had the best cars from the moment they hit the track this week, making Harvick convinced he’d get a KHI win as either a driver or owner by the end of the race.

“Tony and I talked right before the

race, and I said I didn’t think they could beat both cars, as good as they were in practice,” Harvick said. “Best car I’ve ever had here, and I think we worked a long time, a lot of hours in our speedway program, and it all paid off today.”

But the effort was overshadowed

by Danica Patrick’s NASCAR debut and Earnhardt’s spectacular crash.

Patrick announced Monday she would run the Nationwide race, basing her decision on a successful stock-car debut three days earlier in the ARCA event. So all eyes were on her from the first practice all the way through her involvement in a race-ending 12-car accident just past the halfway mark.

Daytona Shootout fell flat because the race ended under caution — meaning the field was frozen one lap from the finish, and winner Kevin Harvick coasted toward the checkered flag unchallenged — series officials acted quickly to create a new procedure.

In today’s race, NASCAR will now make up to three attempts to finish under green should a caution be called before the final lap.

“Me personally, as a fan, I would’ve thought that the (Shootout) finish was not that great,” said Denny Hamlin, a driver who has found his voice over the past several months when it comes to NASCAR issues.

“They can’t change the rule right in the middle of the race. But they’re doing everything they can to make everyone happy and make sure we have good finishes. It’s just another step in the right direction.”

The industr y already received a huge boost from Danica Patrick, who has upstaged Speedweeks

Grady Thompson

He was preceded in death by his son, Mike Thompson; grandson, David Cantrell; and brother, Donald Thompson.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife, Willie Mae Thompson of Quincy; daughters, Becky Cantrell of Hamilton, Cathy Adams and Beth Smith, both of Greenwood Springs; brother, Phillip Wayne Thompson of Amory; six grandchildren, three step grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers are Jamy and Justin Jones, Robert Pullen, Junior Cantrell, Michael Rodgers and Alex Harris.

with her shift into NASCAR. Although she’s not racing the Daytona 500, her participation in lower level events has reinforced the fact that a successful superstar can invigorate the series.

That’s got to come, though, from Earnhardt Jr. Just like NASCAR, he heads into 2010 at a critical juncture of his career.

Mired in a horrendous slump that has tested his mental strength, team owner Rick Hendrick made rebuilding that No. 88 team the organization’s top priority. How much they’ve accomplished will be on display at Daytona, where Earnhardt is considering one of the best racers. He’s got two Cup victories at Daytona over his career, including the 2004 Daytona 500.

Earnhardt wants another Daytona win, and to get on pace with his successful Hendrick teammates.

No matter how bad things were last season, racing is still the only thing he wants to do.

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season. The 52nd running of the Great American Race comes at a critical time for NASCAR, which launched a series of rapidfire changes designed to add some much-needed energy to a sport that had seemingly hit its plateau.

NASCAR wants its drivers to shed the sponsorshilling stereotype and show more raw emotion.

The sanctioning body is willing to do its part, too, agreeing to lighten up its restrictions on on-track aggression. The relaxed policing is referred to around NASCAR as the “Boys, have at it” policy, and has generated considerable buzz for the sport.

The key to capitalizing still lies in staging a successful show on Sunday, and NASCAR is keenly aware of the opportunity to show a wide audience that the sport has turned a corner and is headed back in the right direction.

Doing so means rules are still being tinkered with in the days leading into the race. When last week’s exhibition Budweiser

MO

Continued from Page 1B indication he’ll relax his run of NASCAR domination anytime soon.

So forgive the rest of the field if they’ve had just about enough of the Hendrick camp.

“I think about that sometimes. I think everybody probably does,” said Kasey Kahne, who wedged his Richard Petty Motorsports entry alongside Johnson in the second row to crash the Hendrick party.

“We got down here and the first practice it was 1-23-4 or something like that with the Hendrick cars.

We’re always chasing them it seems like, but I feel like I’m in the best position I’ve been in in a while, as far as this race, to have a shot to race with those guys and actually beat some of them.”

A new year, but the goal remains the same across the garage: Figure out how to beat the Hendrick guys.

There’s no better stage, either, than Daytona International Speedway and the biggest race of the

The cameramen get a posed shot of the MSU cheerleaders to add to the opening.

12:35 p.m. — Someone brings up a point tat no one has mentioned: The coaches are wearing sneakers as part of Coaches vs. Cancer weekend.

12:38 p.m. — Baker says he is not going to do another game this year unless it is with this crew.

12:43 p.m. — Lights out at The Hump for player introductions.

12:45 p.m. — One minute to broadcast.

12:47.22 p.m. — Tip 12:55 p.m. — The graphic highlighting Varnado’s place on the NCAA all-time blocked shots list is used after his first block.

12:56 p.m. — Dean Jr. talks about the Renardo Sidney eligibility issue, and a camera catches him on the bench.

1 p.m. — The graphics guys are encouraged to keep updating LSU’s field goal woes to highlight their slow start.

1:03 p.m. — The producer sets up the return by telling the cameramen to get a shot of Bully, MSU’s mascot, and then to have the graphic on Sidney ready.

1:05 p.m. — Sidney congratulates a teammate on the sideline and the announcers continue to discuss his situation with the NCAA. 1:06.45 p.m. — LSU hits its first field goal and the telecast briefly loses its audio.

1:06.56 p.m. — The audio returns.

1:11 p.m. — The producer asks, “What are you supposed to do with a 12-4 game?”

1:25 p.m. — The producer asks graphics to create a graphic for LSU’s season-low scoring output in first half.

1:27 p.m. — LSU had a season-low 18 points vs.

Alabama.

1:32 p.m. — At halftime, the producer and Baker compare South Carolina’s Devan Downey and LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell. “Mitchell is far more one-dimensional than Downey,” Baker said.

1:53 p.m. — Dean Jr. gets to use the signature line, “a little string music” after a made basket. There haven’t been many times to try to use it.

2:02 p.m. — Baker calls Varnado the best on-ball shot blocker he has seen.

2:06 p.m. — Varnado gets block No. 500.

2:32 p.m. — Varnado’s spin move for a score is the play of the game.

2:41 p.m. — Out.

• THOM

Terr y Renna/AP

Danica Patrick’s car (7) spins out of control during an accident on Saturday.

Regional Television made the most of a less-than-stellar 67-51 MSU victory.

11:22 a.m. — Humphrey Coliseum is just stirring to life and the cameramen are busy capturing players from both teams as they warm up.

MSU’s Ravern Johnson is one of the players targeted. He is part of one of the storylines — the Bulldogs’ 3-point shooting woes— the announcers will try to highlight in the broadcast.

Burchett is delighted the cameramen get the shots needs to assemble the package. “I love it when we knock it out early. It makes me happy,” he said.

11:36 a.m. — A picture of analyst Joe Dean Jr., a former MSU men’s basketball player, comes up on one of the highdefinition monitors that forms a wall of images in front of the group in the back of the production trailer. “Look at that hair,” someone says. The image of Dean Jr. is to be used with a package that will highlight the great players in MSU men’s basketball history.

11:38 a.m. — Spelling is essential. The crew edits a graphic that includes the word “underrated” and another that highlights freshman Renardo Sidney and the NCAA investigation into his “amateur” status.

11:49 a.m. — Play-byplay announcer Dave Baker and Dean Jr. do their advancer, or scene-setting introduction that will be used at the start of the broadcast. They need a second take to get the wording down. The footage the cameramen shot of the crowd earlier in the morning is edited together with an on-air shot of the announcers, or “talent,” and graphics. Dean Jr. talks too long explaining one of the points to watch, which leads Posman to tell him that they would put them both on camera if he was going to talk that long.

Dean Jr. doesn’t go as long in his actual introduction to start the game.

11:51 a.m. — On the fourth take of the advancer, Baker works a play on words into his opening to incorporate the cold temperatures outside: “In weather like this, don’t leave your dogs outside.”

The final product is one minute long and is recorded and sent to Charlotte, N.C., the home site for the regional telecasts.

12:15 p.m. — The cameramen are asked to get another fan shot because the other fan shot is too tight, or close.

UN

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Montgomery, Alabama 334.386.7210 - faulkner.edu/law

Obituaries Continued from Page 8B and son of the late Houston and Ida Beard Newell.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Jeffery Dunn; three sisters and four brothers.

He is survived by his wife, Sarah Dunn of Vernon; daughters, Jenea Butts of Millport, Ala., and Charity McKay of Vernon; sons, Jeremy, Shawn and Josh Dunn, all of Vernon; sister, Jesse Cole of Columbus; and 13 grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Josh and Shawn Dunn, Eric Guy, Daniel Thorton and Gary Beard.

QUINCY — Grady Ray Thompson, 70, died Feb. 12, 2010, at his residence.

Services are today at 2:30 p.m. at E.E. Pickle Funeral Home Chapel of Amory with Bros. P.J. Mortensen and Danny Carl Burks officiating.

Burial will follow in the Durrett Cemetery.

Visitation will continue until service time today at the funeral home.

Mr. Thompson was born May 18, 1939, in Quincy to Grady O. and Mary Lou Thompson. He worked for the garment industry and retired from Amory Garment Co. He was a Baptist.

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New Hope Continued from Page 3B halftime deficit and pulling out a win was by keeping its intensity.

“I feel when we play hard, there’s nobody who can beat us,” Hollivay said. “If we keep playing as a team we’ll be unstoppable.”

Still, hoisting a trophy ahead of a chance to get to the Nor th Half is cause for celebration.

“Coach (Laura Lee

Holman) is always on hard on us and when we win other games we can’t get excited,” Hollivay said. “She said in Februar y we’d have fun.

The night before we had fun and tonight we’re still having fun.”

The second half was nip-tuck, as the lead changed hands 10 times and neither team led by more than three points.

In the final 14 minutes, neither team led by more than two.

West Point went ahead 38-37 after Wilma Davis followed up an Ewings miss with two minutes left in the game. Then, Hollivay came up with a steal and later finished at the other end with a strong drive to the basket and layup.

West Point head coach

Jemmye Ann Helms called a timeout, only to see a pass to Yakira Edwards snagged by Edmonds who finished a fast-break layup despite a hard challenge.

New Hope’s 41-38 lead was short-lived, though, as Crowley converted on a short shot.

Petty made a free throw just before Ewings had the last two shots

miss the bottom of the net for West Point.

For Holman, is was a wild finish en route to a division title.

“It got real scar y just like the Oxford game did,” Holman said. “At the end of it, our defense won that game for us. I couldn’t be prouder. We made some mistakes, but what I told them was the first team to give in

would lose. I told them not to be that team and I feel like they stepped up to the challenge. I know they were tired — I didn’t play a lot of subs.

Those last couple of defensive stands to keep them from getting a shot inside and coming down with the rebounds — you couldn’t ask for more as a coach.”

mid-range game. Either way, he was feeling it in the Yellow Jackets’ third victory in as many tries against Columbus this season.

“I kind of got in that zone (in the second quarter),” Townsel said.

Carter said Townsel has had a smile on his face most nights this season.

One of the only times he

didn’t came in a loss to Tupelo at Tupelo. A second game in four days in that same gym didn’t affect Townsel one bit.

“When he gets on a roll he is hard to stop because you have to stay in front of him and he can pull up on a dime and shoot it from 20 (feet),” Carter said. “He gets going like that I don’t

know what to do to stop him.”

Akeem Toppin led Columbus with 10 points, while Wrench and Deontae Jones each had eight.

“Starkville shot that thing like nothing else in the world and we were totally not ready,” Smith said. “We ran into the best team in the state of

Mississippi tonight. They were on a mission.” n South Panola 67, Starkville 51 (G): It wasn’t the Lady Yellow Jackets’ night.

Coming off an emotional victory Tuesday against Tupelo on the Lady Golden Wave’s home floor, Starkville didn’t have the emotion or energy to handle Kearney or South Panola.

The Yellow Jackets trailed 28-23 at halftime thanks in part to 11 firsthalf points by Kala Williams. But a slow start to the second half that included six missed shots and two turnovers dropped the Yellow Jackets into a 37-23 hole. The lead slipped under 10 points just once the remainder of the game despite a host of attempts by Starkville coach Kristie Williams to change the momentum.

“I went A through Z , SOS (Save Our Ship), anything I could get my hands on,” Williams said. “I just couldn’t find the right button to push tonight.

Unfortunately, we will be on the road for a playoff game.”

South Panola coach Ralph Stallings sensed a difference in Starkville’s level of play from Tuesday night and said his team did a good job of dictating the tempo.

“I don’t think they had the same intensity they had against Tupelo,” Stallings said.

Kearney, who Stallings said is being recruited heavily by Division II Delta State, was the most aggressive player on the court, controlling the paint and slicing between or in front of defenders all night for easy points in the paint.

The result was an easier than expected victory for South Panola (17-5).

“Between now and Sunday at practice I told them to go home and get the Lady Jacket that played on Tuesday night and bring her to practice Sunday because I will need her for Monday night’s game,” Williams said.

Kala Williams finished with 20 points for Starkville, while Briana Henderson added five points.

Stallings said he didn’t have to give his players a motivational speech prior to the game to get such an inspired effort.

“I got some of my best performances from my seniors tonight,” Stallings said. “I think they realized this is their last go-around and this could be something special. They wanted to make history (and win the first Class 6A, District 4 title).”

Christa Brown added 19 points, while Turkessa Burgess and Dorian Winfield each had nine points for South Panola.

Starkville Continued from Page 3B If you try to get up in his grill, Townsel will be past you before you have thought about it and most likely have scored or dished off for a rim-shaking dunk to Perkins or center Gavin Ware.

Townsel also can weave his way to the basket for layups or move inside the arc and showcase a deadly

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Aberdeen Continued from Page 3B this, and I think our team as a whole responded well.

We didn’t leave anything on the court.”

McDonald finished with 19 points, including 13 in quarter. the fourth Channing Ward (10 points), Rashad Pargo (eight), Fred Ward (six), and Mario Lucas (five) also scored for the Bulldogs.

Channing Ward, who picked off 11 rebounds, and Pargo also had a pair

of crowd-pleasing dunks in the second quarter.

“This was a typical Aberdeen-Nettleton game,” said Gardner, who also doubles as the boys coach. “Aberdeen played a physical game, spread the court, took good shots, and then iced it at the freethrow line.”

Blake Birks had 15 points to lead the Tigers, and Lowe, who fouled out with 3:28 left, scored 13.

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Continued from Page 3B Oktibbeha (15-12). n Houlka 50, West Oktibbeha 41 (G): At Vardaman, the Lady Timber wolves came up short Friday in the championship game of the MHSAA Class A, Region 4 Tournament.

Shamia Robinson had 19 points and Jaslynn Bedford added 11 for West Oktibbeha (19-9), which will play host to Pine Grove at 7 p.m. Monday in the MHSAA Class A North Half State Tournament. n Marshall Academy 42, Oak Hill Academy 33 (G): At Madden, the Lady Raiders were outscored in the second half after leading at halftime on Friday in the Mississippi Association of Independent School Class AA North State Tournament.

Megan Holton was Oak

Hill’s leading scorer with nine points. n Lamar County 62, Red Bay 37 (B): At Vernon, Ala., the Bulldogs overcame a first-quarter deficit on Friday in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 2A Northwest SubRegional Tournament.

Jimmy Lann led the Bulldogs with 19 points.

Will Franks followed with 15. Eric Hudson and Marquis Plant contributed nine points each. n Mars Hill Bible 70, Sulligent 60 (B): At Florence, Ala., the Blue Devils had their season end Friday in the AHSAA Class 2A Northwest SubRegional Tournament.

Tony Johnson and Ishmeal Riggins each had 13 points, and Zach Nuther y had 10 for Sulligent (19-10).