In the opening round of the MAIS 5A state playoffs, Parklane’s basketball teams picked up a win and a loss in a pair of matchups against Simpson Academy on Wednesday in Greenwood.
Lady Pioneers secure close win thanks to Jackson’s shooting
The top-seeded Lady Pioneers pulled out a 54-52 win over the fourth-seeded Lady Cougars to begin their state-title run.
Four Parklane players scored in double figures, with freshman guard Carlyle Carruth leading the way with 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Carruth also reeled in a team-high 17 rebounds to record a monstrous double-double.
Junior guard Zoe Alford, who broke the 1,000-point mark in her career just a couple weeks ago, tallied a dozen points, while senior guard Sydney Brewer poured in 11 and freshman guard Lay Jackson added 10.
Alford led the Lady Pioneers with six assists, and junior forward Anna Sawyer pulled in eight boards.
Simpson pushed Parklane to its limit in this one, as the Lady Cougars forced plenty of turnovers and seemed to have an answer on the offensive end throughout the evening.
But with the likes of Alford and Brewer struggling from behind the arc, it was Jackson who knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to lead the way.
"She's grown tremendously since last season, because back then teams would leave her open on the offensive end," head coach Vicki Rutland said of Jackson. "So she worked all offseason on her shot, to the point where now she can be an aggressive, confident shooter."
Her efforts, combined with some well-balanced scoring, willed the Lady Pioneers to a win.
Up next, Parklane faces second-seeded Leake Academy at 2:15 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals of the 5A state playoffs.
Pioneers fall in opening round against Cougars
Facing the same opponent, the third-seeded boys team fell to second-seeded Simpson by a score of 69-46.
The loss brings Parklane’s season to an end after it finished in third place at the MAIS 5A South-State Tournament last week.
