Olive Branch boys hold off Lake Cormorant in Region 1-6A clash, Lady Gator girls make history

Tuesday sports highlights

• Olive Branch Boys Secure Critical Win: Led by freshman Cordi Smith’s game-high 27 points, the Conquistadors defeated Lake Cormorant 63-53, successfully fending off a late-game surge to bounce back in Region 1-6A play.
• Historic Milestone for Lake Cormorant Girls: The Lady Gators achieved their first-ever victory over Olive Branch with a 44-39 win, fueled by a strong defensive fourth quarter and 12 points from freshman Desirae Green.
• Record-Breaking Soccer Performance: Hernando forward Calvin Harrison set new school records for both single-season (26) and career goals (70) after scoring a hat trick against Horn Lake.

LAKE CORMORANT, Miss. — Behind a dominant performance from freshman Cordi Smith, Olive Branch fended off multiple second-half rallies to defeat Lake Cormorant 63-53 on Tuesday night. The victory marks a crucial bounce-back for the Conquistadors in Region 1-6A play following a challenging road stretch.

Olive Branch established an early 19-7 lead in the first quarter. Despite a Gator dunk in the second quarter that cut the deficit, the Conquistadors entered halftime leading 33-24 after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

Lake Cormorant surged in the third quarter, led by Demario Jones Jr., who finished with a team-high 22 points. The Gators pulled within five points, but Smith responded with three 3-pointers in the period to maintain the cushion. Smith finished the night with a game-high 27 points.

“Our main thing was just keeping it simple, not trying to do too much, and just valuing each possession,” said Olive Branch coach Eric Rombaugh. “We’ve lost a number of games now by between two and four points… so tonight we were able to close out.”

The Conquistadors pulled away in the final three minutes, extending their lead back to double digits. Tommy Callicut added 6 points for Olive Branch, while Cordehl Smith contributed 10. Jaden McGregory and Messiah Dunn added 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Gators.

Rombaugh praised Smith’s poise, noting the freshman is “not afraid to take the big shot.” The win provides Olive Branch with much-needed momentum as they navigate a competitive division schedule.

Lady Gators make history with first-ever win over Olive Branch

History was made on the hardwood Tuesday night as the Lake Cormorant girls’ basketball team secured its first-ever victory over powerhouse Olive Branch, defeating the Lady Quistors 44-39.

The milestone win marks a significant turning point for the Lady Gators program, which had never beaten Olive Branch in previous meetings.

“I think this is our first time ever beating Olive Branch, so we’re definitely excited about some things that we’re starting to do here at Lake Cormorant,” said Lake Cormorant head coach Angela Harris. “They’re starting to finally get exactly what we’re trying to do… and they see that it’s working.”

The game was a defensive struggle from the opening tip. Olive Branch held a narrow 10-8 lead after the first quarter, fueled by strong interior play. However, Lake Cormorant surged in the second frame, outscoring the Lady Quistors to take a 19-13 lead into halftime. The momentum shift was punctuated by Amariyah Games, who drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the half.

Olive Branch responded in the third quarter, erasing a four-point deficit late in the period to take a 30-28 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

The Lady Gators’ defense proved to be the difference-maker in the fourth quarter. Harris noted that forcing turnovers—a struggle for the team in the past—became their greatest asset down the stretch.

“Our defense was key in this game,” Harris said. “We got them to make those turnovers that we were usually making.”

Freshman Desirae Green took over the scoring duties in the second half, finishing with a team-high 12 points. Games followed closely with 11 points, including three shots from beyond the arc. Jordan McGill also provided a critical spark in the fourth quarter, contributing five points to help seal the historic win.

Olive Branch was led by Chloe Dorsey with 14 points and Vadaija Pimpton, who added 12 points, 10 of which came from the free-throw line.

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Jan 19

Prep boys basketball

• Columbus 71, Olive Branch 54
• Horn Lake 64, PURE Academy 61

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Prep boys basketball

• Olive Branch 63, Lake Cormorant 53
• DeSoto Central 68, Lewisburg 56
• Center Hill 58, Grenada 30
• Horn Lake 79, Hernando 66
• Northpoint Christian 76, Pleasant View 31

Prep girls basketball

• Lake Cormorant 44, Olive Branch 39
• DeSoto Central 46, Lewisburg 24
• Grenada 57, Center Hill 36
• Horn Lake 37, Hernando 32

Prep boys soccer

• Center Hill 7, Tupelo Christian Prep 0
• Lewisburg 1, Tupelo 0
• Hernando 7, Horn Lake 1
• DeSoto Central 1, Southaven 0

Prep girls soccer

• Tupelo Christian Prep 3, Center Hill 0
• Tupelo 0, Lewisburg 0 (Tupelo wins in penalty kicks)
• Hernando 7, Horn Lake 0
• DeSoto Central 9, Southaven 1

JUCO men’s basketball

• Itawamba 93, Northwest 87

JUCO women’s basketball

• Northwest 56, Itawamba 52

NOTABLES: Hernando boys soccer forward Calvin Harrison set a school single season scoring record (26) and career scoring record (70) in the Tigers victory over Horn Lake. Harrison scored a three-goal hat trick against the Eagles.