HARRISON — A miracle.
Shocked.
One of the best games he’s coached.
Those were the choice words from McComb High School coach Hilton Harrell after his team’s jaw-dropping upset win over No. 1-ranked Wayne County on Friday night in the 5A boys South State semifinals at West Harrison High School near Gulfport.
Although McComb ended up dropping a 64-53 loss Saturday night to Pascagoula in the 5A South State championship game, the win over Wayne County clinched a spot in the state tournament in Jackson. McComb, the No. 2 from the South, will play Callaway on March 5 at the Mississippi Coliseum.
McComb (22-9) lost to Callaway in the 2010 State Tournament, the last time the Tigers made it to Jackson after winning the South State title.
“I don’t know,” said Harrell, who seemed to be at a loss for words after Friday’s big victory over Wayne. “It seemed like a miracle. It’s come from these kids working hard this past spring, and it’s all paying off.”
Senior Antonio Johnson, who has earned a reputation as a clutch player during the Tigers’ last three ball games, converted on a 3-point play off the glass with 17.8 seconds left to put McComb ahead 56-53.
McComb then forced a tough 3-pointer on defense as a stunned crowd looked on at West Harrison High School.
“It’s a big stage. I think we’re ready,” Johnson said of advancing to the Big House. “We just gotta prepare right for this week and go up there and handle business.”
The kicker was how well McComb responded to a sluggish start in the game — one that saw Wayne County build a 17-2 lead during the first quarter.
Harrell took some of his players out, showed them what was working and what wasn’t. After a quick refresher guide, the Tigers easily found new life.
“We started running some good press offense, got some layups and made some defensive stops and got back in the game,” Harrell said. “We played smart, took good shots, blocked out, gave them one shot at the basket and finally got the lead.”
McComb eventually took a 53-49 lead as the final minutes ticked away. Wayne County made a free throw and converted a steal into a 3-pointer that tied things at 53-53 with 1:12 remaining.
The Tigers had another successful shooting night from the free-throw line, connecting on 13 of 16 attempts.
“Our kids have been playing well, but they’ve never played that well,” said Harrell, who has been coaching for 23 years. “This is probably the biggest win we’ve had.”
McComb’s scrappy play has been the same all year, yet just recently are the Tigers understanding how to handle pressure.
Wayne County, which Harrell labeled as the best pressing team in the state, threw every press imaginable against McComb, and the Tigers simply found ways to calmly handle it.
Freshman Antonio Cowart led McComb with 12 points, and Stacey Mack was a force inside with 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Shemar Williams added nine points and eight rebounds, LeDerrius Simmons had nine points and six assists and Johnson finished with nine points and five rebounds.
The extra effort exerted Friday night took a toll on McComb’s players Saturday against Pascagoula, which is headed to Jackson for the third straight season.
In typical McComb fashion, the Tigers made a game of it in the second half before Pascagoula ended the game on a 19-8 run.
McComb used a 7-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to tie it at 43-43 when Johnson buried a quick 3-pointer and reserve Emmanuel Thompson scored four consecutive points.
Pascagoula used a 6-0 run during the next two minutes, which McComb couldn’t answer.
A layup by Brandon Rich put Pascagoula up 53-49 with two minutes to go, and the Panthers took a page out of McComb’s playbook as they stalled in the final minutes, forcing McComb to foul in desperation. Pascagoula was almost automatic from the line, draining 16 of its 18 attempts.
“It was a hard-fought game and I think we exerted a lot of energy to play someone like Wayne County,” Harrell said. “It’s one of the games where you have to live with it.”
Wayne County finished 29-2.
Just like against Wayne County, McComb fell behind early as Pascagoula (20-9) used a 10-0 to start the game and led 30-21 at halftime on Saturday.
While McComb was hardly sloppy, five first-half turnovers and cold shooting dug the Tigers in an 11-point hole it struggled to get out of. The Tigers shot just 7 of 29 (24 percent) in the first half and finished the game 17 of 56 (30 percent).
Williams scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the loss. Mack added 10 points and six rebounds.
Rich led all scorers with 14 points and Prince McDaniel chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.
McComb’s loss wasn’t ideal; the Tigers now face Callaway, one of the top teams in 5A. If anything, the last two games proved McComb can hang with the elite programs in the state.
“We’re confident that if we play our game, we can play with anybody,” Harrell said.
Pascagoula will play the Provine Rams, the No. 2 seed from the North Division, in the other semifinal March 5 at 8 p.m.
