OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — The Olive Branch Quistors and Lady Quistors earned decisive wins Saturday afternoon, defeating Holmes County Central in a boys and girls basketball doubleheader.
Boys Game: Olive Branch 51, Holmes County Central 37
Holmes County Central opened strong, leading 12-8 after the first quarter and holding a seven-point advantage early. Olive Branch responded in the second quarter, taking its first lead at 14-13 on a basket by Tommy Callicutt.
Tyler Gillespie’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gave the Quistors a 27-19 halftime lead. Olive Branch extended its advantage to 38-29 late in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 45-32 cushion. The Quistors closed out the game with a 51-37 victory.
Top scorers for Olive Branch:
– Cordi Smith — 22 points
– Tyler Gillespie — 11 points (8 in the second half)
– Tommy Callicutt — 6 points
Top scorer for Holmes County Central:
– Devontae Simpson — 15 points, including three 3-pointers
Olive Branch coach Eric Rombaugh praised his team’s resilience but noted areas for improvement. “We knew it was going to be tough. Holmes is really good and well-coached,” Rombaugh said. “There was one stretch where they went cold and we made big plays to give ourselves a cushion. I’m proud of the guys, but we’re just scratching the surface. This group will get better with experience.”
Rombaugh highlighted freshman standout Cordi Smith, who led all scorers. “He’s figuring this out on the fly. Teams are physical with him, but he’s not backing down. He’s doing a great job of attacking the rim and using his length,” Rombaugh said.
Girls Game: Olive Branch 59, Holmes County Central 30
The girls matchup was tight early, with Holmes County Central leading 12-10 after the first quarter and the teams tied at 18 at halftime. Olive Branch broke the game open with a 12-0 run to start the third quarter, building a 30-18 lead.
The Lady Quistors dominated the second half, outscoring Holmes County Central 41-12 to secure a 59-30 win.
Top scorers for Olive Branch:
– Chloe Dorsey — 18 points (10 in the fourth quarter)
– Vergaiga Pimpton — 14 points
– Ivy Selph — 9 points
Top scorers for Holmes County Central:
– Koriyah Powell — 8 points
– Hailey Hurt — 7 points
Olive Branch coach Jason Thompson credited defensive pressure for the second-half surge. “We picked it up and allowed our pressure to create turnovers,” Thompson said. “That gave us a chance to make a run and find our rhythm offensively.”
Thompson praised Dorsey’s performance: “She had a really sound, fundamental game that allowed her to showcase her skills. It was good to see her step up in a game that counts.”
SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Nov. 22
Prep boys basketball
Olive Branch 51, Holmes County Central 37
Prep girls basketball
Olive Branch 59, Holmes County Central 30
Mountain Home, Ark. 57, DeSoto Central 24
JUCO women’s basketball
Kilgore, Texas 64, Northwest 51
Prep boys soccer
Lewisburg 5, Milton, Florida 1
Petal 1, Center Hill 0
Prep girls soccer
Lewisburg 3, Milton, Florida 0
Petal 7, Center Hill 0
JUCO women’s soccer
NJCAA Division II National Championship – at Wichita, Kansas
Northwest 2, Heartland, Illinois 1
NOTABLES: Dekyra Mitchell led Northwest with 29 points in Saturday’s loss to Kilgore, Texas. Emma Jensen scored two goals in the last three minutes of the game to secure Northwest’s 2-1 NJCAA Division II National Championship Game victory, the program’s second straight title.
SEEN ON X/TWITTER: Saturday’s NJCAA Division II National Championship victory was Lady Ranger coach James Beattie’s 100th career coaching victory.
He's our man.
He's becoming a myth, because this is the stuff of legend.
You win your 100th game in a National Championship.
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
