Facing arch rivals Jackson Prep in the MAIS Overall State Semifinals, Parklane’s girls basketball team pulled off a 58-54 upset win on Tuesday in Clinton.
The second-seeded Lady Pioneers had to earn every bucket against the 6A-champs, but they were able to outlast the Lady Patriots in a back-and-forth affair that came down to the closing moments.
According to the Parklane coaching staff, the team aimed to limit Prep’s transition opportunities while also closing out hard on perimeter shooters. The Lady Patriots entered this game as a strong 3-point shooting team that likes to get out in the open floor, so those two aspects of the game would be key.
Stingy defense from the likes of senior Sydney Brewer helped in that regard, and the Lady Pioneers’ stars shined on the other end of the floor.
“Zoe [Alford] had an unbelievable shooting night, and Carlyle [Carruth] took over in the third quarter,” assistant coach Tammy Gillihan explained. “And then Lay Jackson calmly hit two free throws to extend the lead to four and ice the game in the closing seconds.”
Gillihan added that junior forward Anna Sawyer was the X-factor of the game, as she battled Prep’s bigs all afternoon and more than held her own.
“It was a total team effort,” Gillihan said. “Every time Prep made a run, we answered right back. We played our best game of the year.”
Alford led the way with a whopping 25 points, shooting 8-for-14 from the floor and 6-for-9 from behind the arc.
Carruth tacked on 15 points, Sawyer tallied 10 and Jackson added seven.
Sawyer also pulled in a team-high five rebounds and recorded a pair of steals, while Carruth assisted on six buckets.
The Lady Pioneers next take on Madison-Ridgeland Academy–the third-seeded team from 6A–at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the championship game of the MAIS state playoffs.
