Southwest Mississippi Community College women’s basketball coach Brent Harris’ second annual camp this week included all four Pike County teams and 11 total high schools.
Harris’ camp was five days, but the teams played in scrimmages Tuesday and Wednesday. He said the turnout was a significant increase from last year.
“It’s a team camp for them to get better in the summer,” he said. “A lot of schools do these. It’s also a recruiting tool for us because there’s a lot of talent in this camp. We’ve had a good response.”
Harris said he saw several athletes he is interested in recruiting, but declined to name anyone specific.
“We’ve had some really great games, too,” he said. “A lot of times they go into overtime and that’s what we want.”
South Pike 12-1 under Harrell
New South Pike head girls basketball coach Hilton Harrell has been in his new position for a month, but his team is 12-1 in summer camp scrimmages and went 2-0 at SMCC.
The Lady Eagles defeated Clinton 34-28 and Hammond 46-9 on Wednesday. They also went to camps at LSU and Brookhaven High School.
“They’re learning how to play at kind of more of a slow pace and fast pace system,” Harrell said. “They’re learning me and I’m learning them, finding out who can do what and what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are. We’re trying to put them in position so they can be successful.”
Senior Destiney Gordon will be the post player, seniors Tomia Mitchell and Alexandria Jackson are the point guards and lead the team in assists while senior guard Moriah Hurst, senior guard and forward Nakaylis Washington and Gordon are the leading scorers.
“We’ve got some kids who can score the basketball,” Harrell said. “We’ve got some size. We’ve got some guards that can really handle the ball. We’re teaching how to control the basketball game with that dribbling ability.”
South Pike will not be attending any other team camps, but players will be going to individual camps at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La., and at Belhaven University in Jackson.
“I think they’re doing well for me to just have them for about two weeks,” Harrell said. “I think they’ve done a good job adjusting to me. They’re playing hard. That’s all you can ask for.”
Lady Tigers go 1-1 at SMCC
The McComb High School girls basketball team played two private schools at the camp on Tuesday and split its games.
McComb lost to Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg 38-36 and defeated Bowling Green School from Franklinton, La., by around 16 points.
“It was a great deal more than being something different,” Lady Tigers head coach Charlton Grey said. “All the young ladies needed to see that. They were very well coached and very disciplined. They take their time. They run the offense. As far as athletics, we may be more athletic than they are, but they run their offense to a T. Some of my shots weren’t falling. They were playing defense, but we weren’t hitting open shots.”
McComb finished the summer 25-7 and went to camps at Southeastern Louisiana University, Mississippi College, Southern Miss, East Mississippi Community College, Brookhaven and Jefferson County high schools.
“We’re getting up and down the floor,” Grey said. “We’re going to be a fast pace. We play good defense. If we have to, we are going to be able to execute the half court. I know we’re going to be a better free throw shooting team this year.”
Grey said even though McComb will not surprise anyone with its success after making the state tournament last year, he and the coaching staff will be implementing new things opponents may not be prepared for.
Assistant coaches are Myesha James, Tanya Brumfield, Lillie McNeil and Tacara Garner. McNeil is the head junior high coach and Garner will be her assistant.
“Now we have to meet expectations,” Grey said. “We set a standard. By us setting a standard, this is what people are looking for every night. We have to perform every night. I have supreme confidence in my players. I have supreme confidence in my coaching staff. What we have to do is continue to work.”
Grey said senior point guard Mylisha Hammond will be the “floor general,” senior guard and small forward Brandy Patterson will be one of the defensive leaders while senior forward Kevanique Butler, junior guard Chardonay Williams and junior forward Destiny Smith will see significant action. Ebony Gayden, Sherese Martin, Shayla Felder, Kayla Brumfield and Bruvondra Jenkins will come off the bench.
North Pike completes 40 games
The North Pike High School girls varsity basketball team played 23 games this summer while the junior varsity had 17 games for a total of 40.
The Lady Jaguars defeated PCS and Parklane Academy at the camp Tuesday and Bowling Green School and Hammond, La. Wednesday.
“We just got a little better every game,” North Pike head coach Laura Lee Holman said. “I guess the most improvement has been our defense. We played man-to-man defense all summer. We were able to keep people from scoring. As the summer went along, especially the last two camps, offensively we’ve been able to improve a lot.”
Holman said North Pike played zone most of last season, but switched to man-to-man late in the year. She added Junior small forward JaNiesha McCray, who averaged close to 8 points per game last year, is the only returning consistent scorer.
However, the head coach said the scoring was balanced during the summer and senior guard Zoreona Williams, junior small forward Tykia Barnes and junior guard Jessica Patterson and sophomore shooting guard KaDasia Wansley will play bigger roles in the upcoming season.
Holman said North Pike will have a run-and-gun offense and look for the fast break whenever possible, noting it can be a half court team when necessary. Free throws were an issue last year, but she said in every game, the Lady Jaguars made more foul shots than they missed.
She is going into her second season as the head coach and this is her first full summer with the team.
“Knowing my terminology, them knowing me better and me knowing them, it’s definitely been huge, especially with my young kids,” she said.
“They’ve bought in. They’re working hard and there’s no other group I’d rather coach.”
North Pike also went to camps at Southeastern Louisiana University, William Carey University in Hattiesburg and Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Holman said the 17 JV games will prepare the underclassmen for when they are called upon.
“There’s always those times where you’re going to need a young kid,” she said. “I think that’s been the best thing is getting them acclimated to the varsity level and the speed of the game.”
Parklane drops close games
The Parklane Academy girls basketball team lost to North Pike and Lawrence County Tuesday by about five points each, but first-year head coach Drew Smith was glad to get the opportunity to go against public schools.
“I think it was good to be out there and see some other people from the area, kind of show my face, get people accustomed to me being at Parklane,” he said. “I think it was really a positive of the program.
“We don’t play a whole lot of public schools at Parklane, so it was a good opportunity to show what we could do outside of a league of our own.”
Junior starting point guard Lana Moak was out of town for the camp, but is expected to be one of the top scorers. Senior shooting guard Destini Brown and senior center Tootie Carter have also been leaders on the court.
“They were definitely two of my best players that day,” Smith said. “They have some aspirations to continue playing ball at the college level. Any exposure they get is really positive for them and the program.”
Parklane also went to camps in June at Mississippi College, Southern Miss and Jones County Junior College.
“I think our strengths are at the full court a lot,” Smith said. “Our team is pretty deep. I can rotate 10 players in and out.”
Smith said sophomores forward Amber Byrd, her twin sister shooting guard Ally Bird, forward Anne Riley Glass and forward Abigail Burns will see significant action in the upcoming season.
The Lady Pioneers will run a full court offense.
“I also think we have the talent and ability to be in a half court setting, get a good look and score in a close ballgame if we have to,” Smith said.
Parklane played zone defense in 2014-15, but the new head coach is installing a man-to-man system.
“My philosophy is different,” Smith said. “I like to play a lot of man-to-man. It’s a process. I’ve only been here two months.”
