Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
It was an overall good weekend at home for the Madison County High School (MCHS) basketball program with the boys' teams winning both games and the girls' teams splitting games.
On Friday, Jan. 25, all four basketball teams were in action against Lafayette High School, from Mayo. The afternoon began with the Cowgirls' junior varsity taking on the junior varsity Lady Hornets. The Cowgirls had to fight back from a deficit in order to win a close match. The score was tied at 11 at the end of the first period. The Lady Hornets opened a 22-20 lead going into the locker rooms at halftime. The Lady Hornets extended their lead with a 33-27 score at the end of the third period. The Cowgirls took advantage of effective perimeter shooting to take the lead and win with a 43-41 final score.
Then it was time for the junior varsity Cowboys to take the court. The Cowboys established an early lead, thanks to some fast break scoring. The score was 26-8 at the end of the opening period. The Cowboys continued to outscore the Hornets during the second quarter and had a 39-19 lead at halftime. The Hornets attempted to chip away at the Cowboys lead late in the game, but the Cowboys still were in firm control with a 67-38 score at the end of the contest.
Next up was the Cowgirls' varsity team. The Cowgirls suffered the only loss for the home teams for the evening, falling to the Lady Hornets, 57-35. The Lady Hornets went up early and held a 13-7 lead at the end of the first period. That lead extended to 31-15 during the second quarter. The Cowgirls attempted to mount a comeback late, but fell short.
Lasage Ferguson led the Cowgirls with 12 points and eight rebounds. Jamya Plummer added eight points and three rebounds to the Cowgirls' effort.
The Cowgirls will be at home on Saturday, Feb. 2 for the final home game of the season and Senior Night. The Cowgirls will face the Lady Bulldogs of Taylor County High School, from Perry, Fla. A special ceremony will be held prior to tipoff to honor the three seniors on the Cowgirls team. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. A drawing will be held for two bicycles to be given away at halftime. Tickets are $2 each and you must be present to win.
The Cowboys' varsity team ended the evening with a dominating 80-36 performance over the Hornets. The Cowboys went out to an early lead to end the opening period with a 22-12 advantage. The Cowboys extended their lead to 44-21 at halftime. During the second half, the Cowboys built upon their lead until the home team had an 80-36 final score.
Dilan Lawson led the Cowboys with 18 points and eight rebounds. Vincenta Mitchell was good for 17 points and six rebounds. Chris Simmons added 14 points for the Cowboys. Travis Jay scored 12 points while snagging eight rebounds and providing eight assists for the Cowboys.
On Saturday, Jan. 26 the boys were home again to meet the Bulldogs of Taylor County High School. Both the junior varsity and varsity teams won decisive victories for the Cowboys.
The junior varsity game started with the Cowboys going on a 14-0 run to set up a 27-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Cowboys continued to press their advantage and carried a 46-19 lead into halftime. The Cowboys extended their lead in the second half and finished the game with a 69-35 win over the Bulldogs.
During the varsity game with the Bulldogs, the Cowboys jumped out on a 26-0 run to open the contest. The first quarter ended with the Cowboys comfortably ahead, 43-6. Forced turnovers and defensive rebounding helped the Cowboys extend their lead to 60-8 heading into halftime. Having such a sizable lead allowed MCHS Head Coach Allen Demps to play several players from the bench, giving them valuable playing time. The Cowboys continued to cruise through the second half and finished the game with an 88-19 final score.
Demarvion Brown led the Cowboys with 14 points. Zarrion Robinson scored 10 points for the Cowboys. Devin Norwood contributed nine points for the Cowboys. Simmons and Mike Gibson added eight points each to the Cowboys' score.
The Cowboys, now 16-1 on the season, will be at home on Friday, Feb. 1, to take on the Suwannee County High School Bulldogs. The action will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the tipoff for the junior varsity game. The varsity game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.