The McComb boys basketball team may have lost the 4A State Championship game, but two senior Tigers ended their careers on a high note in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game at Mississippi College in Clinton March 18.
Mississippi, led by McComb head coach Hilton Harrell, defeated Alabama 85-83. Senior guard and forward Antonio Cowart started and played 25 minutes, finishing with 4 points, three assists and four rebounds. Senior post player QuaDarius Green had four rebounds and one assist in nine minutes of action.
“When we lost that state final game and then coming back — having another chance to coach them — we wanted to go out on a good note,” Harrell said. “They all started working together with the other kids and made it happen. It meant a lot to me to coach that game. It was very exciting, very rewarding because of the fact that I got to see a team that was talented at every position. I wanted to see how well I could handle that type of team.”
Cowart said his favorite moment of the game was when Alabama missed a shot and his defender did not get back on defense. Taze Moore of Southaven passed the ball to Cowart down court and he finished the fast break with a dunk.
“It was pretty good because now I could say, my last high school game, I got a win,” Cowart said. “I definitely didn’t want to leave my last high school game, probably my last game in Mississippi, to be a loss. That was big. That was special.”
Although Green was not on the floor at the end of the game, he said he was glad to see Moore get the winning basket toward the end.
“It was a very humbling and exciting experience to be with the rest of the best players in the game,” Green said. “It was very fun to play with Antonio again and finish with a win on our season, as you could say.”
All players were guaranteed at least six minutes on the floor and teams were not allowed to apply a full-court press.
“We were very efficient, but we simplified what we do to make sure every kid could play, be looked at, have fun and it would be rewarding for them,” Harrell said. “They could have some success by putting them in different positions.”
Cowart said he is considering playing for LSU, UTEP, Southeastern Louisiana, Troy, Middle Tennessee State and Iowa State next year.
Middle Tennessee State, led by former Southwest Mississippi Community College head coach Kermit Davis, upset Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 90-81.
“That was a big bracket buster,” Cowart said. “That’s a good program up there at Tennessee. It was a big win for that program.”
Cowart said he plans to make his decision on where he will play next year by signing day April 13. At this time, he said no school is a frontrunner.
Green said he is looking at all junior colleges and schools in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. He added he does not have a timetable for his decision. He did say he has taken a closer look at Southwest after it won the 2015-16 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges State Championship.
Former Tiger Emanuel Thompson was on the SMCC state championship team and will be back next year as a sophomore. Green and Thompson were teammates on the McComb 2014-15 4A State Championship team.
“It would be to play with (Thompson) again and, hopefully, win another championship,” Green said. “When I saw that they won state, it did open my eyes about them to think about them more.”
Cowart lives in McComb and is the son of Daffine Martin and Antonio Cowart Sr. Green lives in McComb and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lee Green.
