JACKSON — An anxious first quarter gave way to an easier second and a runaway win for the Franklin County Lady Bulldogs at the Mississippi Coliseum on Tuesday.
Franklin County beat North Panola 61-43 to advance to the 3A State Semifinals.
“We played like we hadn’t been here in the first,” Franklin County head coach Charles Moore said. “I’m proud of how we played after that.”
Almost six minutes passed before either team strung together points on consecutive trips up the court. Franklin County missed layups and follows off offensive rebounds, while North Panola was settling for outside shots that weren’t falling.
The first ended 8-5 in favor of the Bulldogs, but the second started quickly.
Monique Starks, Paige Webster and Shareka Hunt all scored out of the gate before Monea Cameron finished off the second quarter with six points to keep North Panola down double digits.
Two came off a steal on an inbound pass following a timeout and four more were from jump shots. They were her only points of the game.
The troubles in the first melted away once the Bulldogs found a lead.
“I got frustrated in the first,” Cameron said. “I was able to relax in the second because I wanted to keep our lead.”
The Bulldogs ran the lead out to 20 in the third quarter and were able to hold on without too much trouble from there.
Franklin County’s inside game kept North Panola’s Jenisha Jackson in foul trouble and out of the way despite her seven rebounds.
Webster finished with 22 points and eight rebounds for Franklin County, and Hunt tallied 21 with 10 rebounds as well.
Franklin County’s seniors, especially Hunt and Cameron, helped the Bulldogs get through the rough stretch of the first quarter.
“The seniors especially stepped up,” Moore said. “When were struggling they kept their calm.”
Franklin County will face Alcorn Central on Monday at 1 p.m. in the Coliseum in the state semifinals. The winner Monday plays the winner of the Raymond-Southeast Lauderdale contest.
