Friday sports page: Northpoint girls blitz St. George’s, Trojans fall to Gryphons
Photo: Myles Colom drives down court for Northpoint
The Northpoint Christian girls’ basketball team remained unbeaten in TSSAA Division II-A district play at 5-0 and improved to 17-1 overall Friday night. The Lady Trojans had little trouble against St. George’s in a 52-30 victory.
Meanwhile, the Northpoint boys hung around before the Gryphons pulled away for a 55-33 victory on a night that had a girls’ basketball combine with winter Homecoming.
(G) Northpoint Christian 52, St. George’s 30: Nailah Herrera continued her leadership role on the scoresheet with 21 points for the Lady Trojans and got support from Lillie Milligan with 14 points and Londyn Griffin with 10 more against the Lady Gryphons. St. George’s was led by Jade Young, who scored 14.
Northpoint rolled out to a 12-2 lead to begin the game and led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter, as Herrera led the way with six points.
Herrera continued to push the offense in the second quarter with 10 points for a first half total of 16, as the Lady Trojans brought a 28-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Griffin took over the offense in the third quarter for the Lady Trojans, as her six points helped Northpoint to a 36-22 lead after three quarters of play. From there, the Northpoint lead grew to 41-24 ahead of the final score of 52-30.
Herrera is typically among the leading scorers for the Lady Trojans, but coach Barry Gray is quick to point out her skills on the defensive end of the floor.
“She’s very active on defense,” Gray said. “She’s strong, quick to the ball and a good rebounder.”
Northpoint travels to Harding Academy Monday night for a key district contest.
{B} St. George’s 55, Northpoint Christian 33: There were moments it looked like the Northpoint boys of first-year Luke Chapman were going to hang with the taller Gryphons. But St. George’s would then hit a couple of baskets to counter missed shots of the Trojans and pull away for the 22-point victory.
Jackson Ralls torched the nets for 10 points for Northpoint in the first quarter, but Ralls was almost completely silenced the rest of the game, finishing with 12 points for the night. McCoy Huxford and Tagg Floyd each scored six points. Myles Colom, averaging 19 points on the season, was held to only four against the Gryphons.
Carson Crump, a freshman, took game-high scoring honors with 18 points for St. George’s.
The contest was close through the first quarter with the Gryphons holding a 16-15 lead through eight minutes.
The tight contest was loosened with a pair of Gryphon three-pointers for a 25-18 lead halfway through the second quarter, later to be 32-20 at intermission.
Northpoint would get within nine points with about two-and-a-half minutes left in the third quart
Friday, Jan. 31
Prep boys’ basketball
- Olive Branch 59, Saltillo 46
- Southaven 50, Lafayette 44
- St. George’s 55, Northpoint Christian 33
- Northpoint: Jackson Ralls: 12
Prep girls’ basketball
- Olive Branch 57, Saltillo 18
- Northpoint Christian 52, St. George’s 30
- Northpoint: Nailah Herrera-21
JUCO softball
Northwest 10, Snead State 1
Northwest 9, Southern Union State 5 (7 innings-called by rain)
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Lake Cormorant girls win the regional powerlifting meet at Center Hill.
Hernando High School boys’ soccer players signing college commitments Friday morning included Zander McBride and Daniel Van Buergen (East Mississippi CC), Leo Frank (Northwest CC), and Arturio Tapia (Itawamba CC)
Former Center Hill standout athlete Dan Ellington named assistant coach at Illinois.
