Photo: The jump ball to start Tuesday’s Oxford at Hernando girls basketball game, the final regular season home game at Theron E. Long Gymnasium in Hernando. Teams will play in the new high school on McIngvale Road next season. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Hernando and Oxford basketball teams met Tuesday night in Region 1-7A action, games that had a special interest for the home teams. After playing in the same gymnasium since the early 1990s, Hernando’s Tigers and Lady Tigers took the floor at Theron E. Long Gymnasium for the last time in the regular season. With the completion of the new high school, Hernando teams will be playing in a new gymnasium on the School campus next season.
(G) Hernando 79, Oxford 53: Hernando’s Fran Kelly continued to state her case as one of Mississippi’s best girls’ basketball players in Tuesday’s 79-53 victory over Oxford, as Kelly poured in 36 points in the win.
There may still be a playoff game in the future, but the Lady Tigers made sure they left the gym floor victorious and kept a long winning streak in region regular season and tournament play alive.
“We haven’t lost since a December date against Lewisburg in 2023,” said Hernando coach Blake Jones. “That’s two seasons in a row we haven’t been beaten in the division tournament or regular season. That’s a big deal to the girls and I’m proud of them for that.”
Tuesday’s first half was close, with Hernando leading 20-17 after one quarter and a 36-31 edge at half. Fran Kelly already had 16 points at intermission and sister Jaliah had added 10 more.
The Lady Tigers began to open things up in the second half, extending the lead to 44-33 with five minutes left in the third quarter. However, the Lady Chargers were able to shrink the margin to 44-38 just a minute later, followed by a Hernando rally for a 55-44 lead after three periods of play.
Two quick scores to open the fourth quarter extended the Hernando lead to 59-44, forcing an Oxford timeout. The stoppage didn’t stop the Lady Tiger attack, however, as Hernando extended the lead some more to 63-44 with six minutes left in the game.
Later in the fourth quarter, Hernando upped the margin to 21 points at 68-47 on their way to the final 79-53 victory.
Kelly hit 12 field goals against Oxford, five of which came from distance, and of her 36 points, she was 7-of-12 at the free throw line, which Jones said she was probably not going to be happy with.
“She takes it serious and she holds a grudge against herself when she doesn’t do well,” Jones explained. “Against Olive Branch Saturday she missed six free throws in a row, so she stayed for an hour after practice and shot on the gun free throws with her dad.”
Ten of Jaliah Kelly’s 17 points came in the first half, eight of that total coming in the second quarter. Gemma Walker added nine points.
Oxford was led by Sydney Glahn with 18 points, 10 of which came in the second half, while Zoe Metcalf and Camaria Frierson each finished with 10.
(B) Oxford 67, Hernando 55: The Tigers found no answer in stopping Oxford’s Gori Johnson, who blistered the net for 36 points in the Chargers’ victory. Johnson sank 17 field goals, all of which came from inside the three-point line.
Johnson had 15 points in the first quarter alone, followed by five more in the second quarter for a first-half total of 20 points. He finished up with 10 points in the final eight minutes of the game.
Collin Flanigan added 10 points for Oxford, which included six in the first half.
While Hernando couldn’t stop Johnson, Oxford had trouble with the Tigers’ Jumarion Joiner, who finished with 21 points, 14 of which came in the third quarter.
Oxford took a 21-14 lead after one quarter but Hernando did get within 21-19 to open the second quarter of play. The Chargers answered with 10 straight points for a 31-19 with 2:09 left in the half, and followed that with five points on the board for a 36-19 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Tigers were able to get within six points before Oxford went on a spurt to take an 11-point edge with 1:16 left in the third quarter. The lead became 13 with a run of a couple of baskets with three minutes left in the game and Oxford held that margin for the final 67-55 outcome.
