Photo: Tommy Callicutt of Olive Branch (30) muscles his way between a pair of Columbus defenders during Friday’s 56-51 Quistor victory. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
There will be breakfast and brunch basketball in the Big House for the Olive Branch boys’ and girls’ teams on Thursday, Feb. 27, after both squads took away 6A quarterfinal round victories from Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU).
The Conquistadors held off Columbus, considered by MaxPreps as the top team in 6A, 56-51 Thursday night after the Lady Quistors chomped down the Vicksburg Missy Gators 75-44.
The day was not a complete success for DeSoto County teams, however. The Hernando girls season ended in a lopsided 83-40 loss to defending state 7A champion Tupelo in the first game of the day at MVSU.
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the Northpoint Christian School Lady Trojans dropped a 55-27 decision to University School of Jackson in the TSSAA Division 2-A West Region semifinals. Still alive in the playoffs, the Lady Trojans play Saturday afternoon at 1:45 p.m. in a consolation game against Jackson Christian School. The game will be for seeding into the first round of the state playoffs.
OLIVE BRANCH (B) 56, COLUMBUS 51
The Quistors never trailed in the quarterfinal victory, leading the Falcons 21-13 after one quarter, 27-23 at halftime, and 42-37 after three quarters of play.
Tommy Callicutt was the main scoring threat with 22 points for Olive Branch, a point total that included a trio of three-pointers that, along with Reece Garrison’s six points in the first quarter helped set the tone for the contest.
“Tommy Callicutt, big shot after big shot after big shot,” coach Eric Rombaugh said. “We were able to dump it down to him and he just went to work. I told both Tommy and Reece before that the ball was going to run through them and they needed to be strong.”
Trey King ended the game with 11 points and Garrison added 10 more.
Friday’s victory means a return to Mississippi Coliseum for a state semifinal game Thursday, Feb. 27 at 12 noon against either Hattiesburg or West Harrison. Olive Branch has been on the Big House floor a lot over the past few years.
“I think since 2017 there’s only one year we haven’t been there,” Rombaugh said.
Davie Verdell led three Falcons in scoring with 14 points.
OLIVE BRANCH (G) 75, VICKSBURG 44
After a closely played first quarter, Olive Branch opened up the contest and ran away from the Missy Gators in punching their ticket to the 6A state semifinals. Coach Jason Thompson’s Lady Qusitors now return to the state’s biggest prep basketball stage where they will play either West Jones or West Harrison in a 9 a.m. contest Thursday, Feb. 27.
Both teams traded points in the first quarter for an 18-18 tie, but Olive Branch’s Caleigh Nix opened up with 14 second-quarter points, part of an 18-point first half. Nix hit a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter, and was joined by Brianna Black, who added a pair of treys and Jayde Matthews, who also knocked down a pair of threes in the first half.
NIx finished the game with 25 points.
“That kid is something special and I’m just glad she’s been able to show everybody else what I’ve seen from day one,” Thompson said. “She has a special gift and talent.”
The Lady Quistors opened up a 44-23 lead at halftime and led 66-33 after three quarters. The remainder of the game quickly moved into continuous clock mode.
“Our goal was to get out on the big stage and give us a chance to play that last game,” Thompson said. “The kids really understood the main goal, to figure out how to outplay them for 32 minutes and get us a victory.”
Cynia Johnson led the Missy Gators in scoring with 22 points.
TUPELO (G) 83, HERNANDO 40
Newly-crowned Miss 6A Basketball Fran Kelly was held to just 10 points in Hernando’s loss to Tupelo Thursday afternoon. Sister Jaliyah Kelly picked up some of the slack with a 19-point effort, but the Lady Tigers got little support after that and were not able to stop the Lady Wave tandem of Jade Rucker’s 30 points and an added 26 more from Nadia Norfleet.
“Jaliyah never quit battling and had a great game,” Hernando coach Blake Jones said.
Tupelo took a 26-13 lead after one quarter. The Lady Tigers were able to get within eight points in the second quarter at 26-18 but that’s when Tupelo answered for a 40-22 halftime lead and the Lady Wave entered the final quarter with a 69-35 margin. A running clock ran for the fourth quarter to quickly end the contest.
“They started the game on a 6-0 run and kind of set the pace for it,” Hernando coach Blake Jones said. “We couldn’t overcome what they were doing, pushing the ball up the court.”
Friday, Feb. 21
Prep boys’ basketball
MHSAA 6A state quarterfinals – at Mississippi Valley State University
Olive Branch 56, Columbus 51
Prep girls’ basketball
MHSAA 7A state quarterfinals – at Mississippi Valley State University
Tupelo 83, Hernando 40
Prep girls’ basketball
MHSAA 6A state quarterfinals – at Mississippi Valley State University
Olive Branch 75, Vicksburg 44
Prep girls’ basketball
TSSAA Division 2-A West Region semifinals at Evangelical Christian School
