JACKSON — McComb girls’ basketball coach Angelia Johnson stepped back late in the season and let her team decide how far it would go.
Callaway made that decision for the Lady Tigers Tuesday night.
The Lady Chargers went on a 15-0 second-half run and rallied to beat the South State champion Lady Tigers 47-41 in the Class 5A state semifinals at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.
After struggling to a 9-win regular season, the Lady Tigers beat West Jones for the South State championship on Feb. 19.
“When what you’re doing isn’t working,” Johnson said, “you’ve got to step back and try something different.”
Unfortunately for the Lady Tigers, the Lady Chargers used that same strategy on defense.
Callaway, the North half runner-up, overcame a sometimes listless first half with a pressure defense.
The Lady Chargers (19-9) advance to Saturday’s state championship against Lanier (27-0). It will be the teams’ sixth meeting this season.
McComb finished the season at 13-19.
McComb forward Angelina Earl burned the Callaway defense for three first-half 3-pointers, but the Lady Chargers shut down the post player’s perimeter attack in the second half, holding McComb to 29 percent shooting and forcing 14 turnovers after intermission.
The defensive stance was part of the 15-0 run that gave the Lady Chargers the lead for good and helped them pull away.
“We prepared for their 1-2-2 half-court trap and their man press,” Johnson said. “The game plan was there. The effort just wasn’t there tonight.”
After giving up the lead for the first time in the game, the Lady Tigers reclaimed a 28-27 lead on Raneka Felder’s right baseline runner with 3:37 to go in the third period.
From there, however, McComb fell victim to Callaway’s defensive press. The Lady Tigers were 0-for-8 from the floor with seven turnovers over the next 7:17.
During that same time, Callaway looked to Alissa Ross, and the senior point guard delivered for the Lady Chargers.
Ross ignited the run with a jumper from the top of the key to put Callaway back in front, 29-28. Ross closed the third period with an off-balance 15-footer from the left wing for two of her 14 points to give the Lady Chargers their largest lead of the game at that point, 36-28.
The point guard missed an open layup early in the fourth quarter, but was fouled on the play. She drained two free throws to send the lead to double digits, 38-28.
Callaway’s run went to 13-0 on two free throws from Jammieca Hudson. Ross helped capped the run when her touch pass from the top of the key found shooting guard Jasmine Brown, who drove the left baseline for a reverse layup and a 42-28 advantage.
McComb finally ended the run when Felder overpowered a double team for a layup to make it 42-30 with 4:20 to play. From there, Callaway sank its free throws to seal the win.
The turnaround was a far cry from the first half, when the Lady Tigers battled Callaway on the boards. McComb built an 11-6 lead on Angelina Earl’s second 3-pointer of the third period. Earl finished with 11 points, including three 3-pointers, all in the first half.
Audrekus Dexter hit the first of two free throws to close the first half, then drained two more to open the second half and give McComb a 14-10 lead. Dexter finished with a team-high 14 points.
Earl’s third 3-pointer of the half stretched the Lady Tigers’ lead to 17-12 midway through the second period.
“They came ready to play. They got off the bus ready to go,” Callaway head coach Stacey Webb Bailey said of the Lady Tigers. “They hustled as if they said, ‘Our record doesn’t matter. You’re going to have step up if you’re gonna play Saturday.’ “
The Lady Chargers stepped it up and briefly tied the game at 17 on Brown’s steal of a McComb pass and subsequent layup.
The game was tied at 19 before Keaira Patterson drove the baseline off the right wing for the layup, then hit one of two free throws to put McComb up 22-19 at halftime. Patterson finished with 9 points.
