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MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2024 Alabama 65, Mississippi 59 – Despite a strong third quarter from Mississippi’s All-Stars, the Alabama All-Star girls came from behind to claim their seventh straight win in the series by a score of 65 to 59 in the 34th Annual Classic played at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, at Mississippi College in Clinton on March 9, 2024. The Alabama win propels the Alabama All-Star girls to a series record of 20 wins and 14 losses. The game featured early turnovers by both squads and Alabama led after the first quarter by a score of 18-16. Alabama outscored Mississippi 14 to 13 in the second quarter to take a 32 to 29 halftime lead. Mississippi came out blazing in the third quarter as De’Mya Porter of Bogue Chitto dominated the offensive boards with two put-back buckets, an old fashioned three-point play, and an assist as Mississippi took a 52 to 45 lead into the fourth quarter. Porter was selected as the Mississippi MVP of the game as she had a team-high 19 points with 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. The Mississippi team outscored Alabama in the third quarter 23 to 13. Alabama rallied, however, and outscored Mississippi 20 to 7 in the final stanza. Alabama’s Ivey Maddox of Good Hope tied the game at 59-59 with 3:04 to play with a three-pointer seconds after re-entering the game. She then deflected a pass with 1:30 to play that was recovered by Leah Brooks of Hazel Green who dished it to Jordan Hunter of Hewitt-Trussville who sank a short jumper with 1:02 to play to give the lead to Alabama. Hunter, who was named the Alabama MVP with a game-high 25 points with 1 rebound and 1 steal, sank two free throws with 43.7 seconds left to extend Alabama’s lead to 63 to 59. Maddox finished the game with 15 points (four three-points shots), 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in 15 minutes of playing time and Brooks tallied 12 points with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot, and 1 steal. Besides Porter’s strong performance, Mississippi was paced by Anna “A.P.” Patterson of Bay Springs who scored 9 points with 9 rebounds, 1 blocked shot and 1 steal. Clinton’s Taelar Felton added 8 points with 1 steal for the Magnolia State squad. Mississippi outshot Alabama 40.7% to 33.8%, but Alabama rebounded Mississippi 42 to 41. The teams combined for 51 turnovers with Mississippi at 29 and Alabama at 22.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2024 Mississippi 78, Alabama 77 – The Mississippi All-Star boys snapped a two-game Alabama winning streak by escaping with a last second 78 to 77 win in the 34th Annual Classic at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, on the campus of Mississippi College at Clinton on March 9, 2023. Mississippi sliced the Alabama series lead to 18 to 16 with the victory. Mississippi MVP Dorian McMillian of Pascagoula and Matthew Krauss of St. Patrick combined to produce clutch points down the stretch and erase a 7-point Alabama lead. McMillian, who had 18 points—14 in the second half--with 5 rebounds and 2 assists, made a spectacular tip-in of a missed shot to cut the Alabama lead to 77 to 76 with 57.5 seconds left in the game. Krauss, who also had 18 points with 1 rebound and 3 steals in the game, had drilled a three-pointer to cut the Alabama lead to 77-74 with 1:35 to play and then hit the eventual game winning shot with 26.4 seconds left on a running baseline jumper. With 7 seconds remaining, Alabama went inside, but Canton’s DeAndrew Lewis blocked a shot out of bounds. An inadvertent whistle stopped the clock with 5.1 seconds giving Alabama a last chance, but a baseline shot was blocked and a long shot attempt off the block fell short. Alabama was paced by Alabama MVP Caleb Harrison of Huntsville, who had only scored 1 point in the first half and tallied 17 second half points for a team-high 18 points along with 8 rebounds and 1 steal. Mississippi had taken a first half lead, but Jordan Johnson of Austin scored 6 of his 10 points in the final three minutes before intermission to force a 41 to 41 halftime tie. The second half featured back-and-forth seesaw scoring by Harrison, Johnson, Adrian Wooley of Paul W. Bryant, and Tristan Gilmore of McAdory for Alabama against Mississippi buckets by Krauss, McMillian, Eric Paymon of Raymond, and Avery Thomas of Terry. Wooley had 15 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists while Gilmore poured in 9 points with 1 rebound, 1 block and 2 steals. Thomas, who made key defensive stops, had 14 points with 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals for the Magnolia State squad. Paymon finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and a Mississippi team game record of 6 blocked shots. Mississippi edged Alabama in rebounding 43 to 41 and Alabama outshot their counterparts 45.7% to 39.7%
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2023 Alabama 88, Mississippi 74 – Alabama’s All-Stars girls won their sixth consecutive game against the Mississippi All-Stars by a tally of 88 to 74 in the 33rd Annual Classic that was played at the Mitchell Center on the campus of South Alabama in Mobile on March 11, 2023. The Alabama victory gave the squad an overall record of 19 wins against 14 losses in the series that dates back to 1991. Alabama was led by Reniya Kelly of Hoover who was named Alabama MVP by scoring 23 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and one steal. Alabama led early, but Mississippi took a three-point lead in the second quarter. The Alabama All-Stars then connected on five three-point shots over the next four minutes to conclude a 15-7 run and give Alabama the lead at the half by a 45 to 40 score. For the game, Alabama made 10 3-pointers that maintained the lead for the rest of the contest. Mississippi was paced by Germantown’s Madison Booker who had a game-high 25 points with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 3 blocked shots and was selected as the MVP for the Magnolia State squad. Alabama’s hot shooting continued throughout the second half with Kennedy Langham of Sparkman scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Chole Siegel of Deshler and Olivia Vandergriff of Guntersville each poured in 10 points apiece to help Alabama stretch out the lead as they outshot Mississippi 43.5% to 32.% and outrebounded their cross state rivals 61 to 40. The Mississippi squad had a strong game from Kynnedi Davis of Brandon who had 13 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. Indiya Bowen of Horn Lake and Shay Hunter on Neshoba Central each scored 8 points apiece for Mississippi.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2023 Alabama 91, Mississippi 72 – A balanced scoring attack that had four all-stars in double figures provided Alabama with a solid game in defeating Mississippi 91 to 72 in the 33rd Annual Classic at the Mitchell Center on the campus of South Alabama at Mobile on March 11, 2023. With their second straight win, Alabama improved its record to 18-15 in the series that started in 1991. Alabama, which featured all 12 team members scoring at least 2 points with 1 rebound each, jumped out to a 14-13 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 38-24 halftime advantage. Israel “Izzy” Miles of Grissom scored 12 points with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 blocked shot and was selected as the Alabama MVP. Kylen “Dimp” Pernell of Horn Lake was named the Mississippi MVP with a game-high 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot on 10-of-15 shooting. The contest was still in reach after three quarters as Alabama led by a 51 to 42 score, but Alabama pulled away on back-to-back dunks and 2 more alley-oop slams in the final quarter to increase their lead to 24 points. In addition to Alabama scoring by Izzy Miles, Kerrington Kiel of Ramsay had 12 points with 10-points each from Antonio Jackson of Mattie T. Blount, and Cameron Collins of Austin. Mississippi had help in scoring by Demondre’ Graham of Southeast Lauderdale who added 14 points and Kedrick Osby of Moss Point who scored 10 points. Alabama led in bench scoring 52 to 20, fast breaks 29 to 13, and points in the paint 48 to 30.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2022 Alabama 89, Mississippi 81 – Alabama’s All-Star girls claimed their fifth consecutive win over the Mississippi All-Stars by a score of 89 to 81 in the 32nd Annual Classic played at the A. E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College. The win was Alabama’s third straight in Clinton and increased their series lead to 18-14 since 1991. Hoover senior Aniya Hubbard scored 17 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds along with 4 assists and 3 steals to pace the Alabama squad and was named the Alabama MVP. After early first quarter back-and-forth scoring, Alabama led 27-23 in the second quarter and pulled away on a 14-11 run in the last 7 minutes for a 41-34 halftime lead. The Mississippi squad rallied in the second half behind the 3-point shooting of Carly Keats of Neshoba Central who finished with a game-high 24 points with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal and was selected as the Mississippi MVP. A rare all-star game technical foul whistled on Hubbard in the third quarter gave Mississippi momentum to pull to within 6 points at 46-40 with 6:37 to play in the frame behind a Keats trey. The combination of Hubbard and Samiya Steele of Hazel Green--who had 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists--maintained the Alabama lead as they entered the fourth quarter ahead 65 to 49. Another Keats three-pointer sliced the lead to 8 at 69-61 with 6:09 to play, but Alabama expanded the lead down the stretch for the win. Alabama also received clutch scoring from Alexis Andrews of Park Crossing who tallied 16 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting and Masyn Marchbanks of Hartselle added 7 points. Hayleigh Breland of Harrison Central finished with 10 points and Meridian’s Debreasha Powe had 9 points and 3 rebounds for Mississippi. Alabama outshot Mississippi 50.8% to 38% and both teams had 44 rebounds apiece.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2022 Alabama 96, Mississippi 89 – Avenging last year’s upset loss, the Alabama All-Stars built up a 20 point first half lead and staved off a late rally to defeat the Mississippi All-Stars by a score of 96 to 89 in the 32nd Annual Classic at the A. E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College. The Alabama victory increased Alabama’s lead to 17-15 in the series that has been played annually since 1991. The Alabama squad led wire-to-wire and surged to a 32-20 margin with 8:40 to play in the first half and then a 42-24 edge with 5:51 to go in the stanza. Two thundering dunks in a 10-second span by Martavious Russell of Sipsey Valley with 1:31 to go propelled Alabama to a 55-33 halftime lead. Alabama was paced by Barry Dunning of McGill-Toolen who finished with 22 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocked shots and was chosen as the Alabama MVP. Mississippi rallied in the second half and sliced the Alabama lead to 8 points with 7:46 to play. Mississippi managed to get possession of the ball after two Alabama misses, but Lee-Huntsville’s Jacari Lane stole the ball and fed to Dunning who dunked, was fouled, and sank the free throw to put Alabama up 84 to 73 with time winding down. The Mississippi rally was sparked by the play of Clinton’s Kimani Hamilton and Forest Hill’s George Marshall who both scored a game-high 23 points apiece. Hamilton, who also had 7 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal, was selected as the Mississippi MVP. Sam Murray of Harrison Central pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and scored 7 points to help the comeback. Three Alabama players with MVP Dunning, however, helped maintain the lead down the stretch as Russell scored 19 with 9 rebounds while Efrem Johnson of Grissom added 15 points and Anthony Johnson of Midfield chipped in with 10 points. Alabama outrebounded Mississippi 61 to 56 and outshot their Magnolia State rivals 43.5% to 39.3%.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2021 Alabama 102, Mississippi 70 – Alabama’s All-Star girls broke open a close contest in the second quarter and raced to their fourth consecutive win over Mississippi by a 102 to 70 tally in the 31st Annual Classic played at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery. The victory increased the Alabama All-Star girls lead to 17-14 over their Magnolia State counterparts in a series that dates back to 1991. Leading 25-20 at the end of the first quarter, Alabama outscored Mississippi 29 to 15 in the second frame and led at the half by a 54-37 score. Alabama would maintain their lead through the second half for the win. Turnovers plagued the Mississippi squad as they had 25 miscues to Alabama’s 17. Alabama was paced by Karolin Striplin of Geneva County who was named Alabama MVP after scoring 17 points, pulling down 8 rebounds, and blocking two shots in 33 minutes of playing time. The Mississippi MVP was Macie Walker of Belmont who tallied 13 points with 3 rebounds, and 1 steal in just 8 minutes of playing time. Striplin received scoring help from 4 other Alabama All-stars who had double figures including Kaitlin Peterson of Eufaula (15 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4-of-4 free throws); Saniah Parker of Mae Jemison (11 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot); Amiya Payne of Hewitt-Trussville (10 points, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 blocked shot); and Sara Puckett of Muscle Shoals (10 points, 3 steals, 6 rebounds). Besides Walker, Mississippi received double digit scoring from Melony Thames of Choctaw Central (10 points, 1 assist, 1 steal) and Quay Bailey of Calhoun City (10 points, 5 rebounds). Alabama outrebounded Mississippi by a 54 to 42 margin led by Maya Cunningham of Pleasant Grove who had 9 boards and Striplin with 8 caroms. Mississippi’s Kennedy Ransom of Madison Central had a team-high 9 rebounds.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2021 Mississippi 93, Alabama 91 – Carlous Williams of Harrison Central blocked a potential game-winning three-point shot by Hartselle’s Brody Peebles with two tenths of a second left in the game to preserve a 93 to 91 Mississippi upset win over Alabama in the 31st Annual Classic at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery. Rashad Bolden of St. Andrews, selected as the Mississippi MVP after scoring 25 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, hit 1-of-2 free throws with just 7.9 seconds remaining to help clinch the win. Alabama had fallen behind by 13 points in the first half, trailed 49 to 46 at halftime, gained a 69-60 lead with 11:53 in the game, but fell back by 8 points at 85-77 with 4:06 to play. The Magnolia State win snapped a two-game winning streak by Alabama and cut Alabama’s series lead over Mississippi to 16-15 in the annual contest that started in 1991. Alabama was led by Alabama MVP J. D. Davison of Calhoun who scored 35 points with a game-high 11 rebounds and 8 assists in 34 minutes of playing time. Davison finished 1 point shy of the Classic record of 36 points scored by Craig Sword of Carver-Montgomery in 2012. Besides MVP Bolden, Mississippi had three other players in double figures including Coltie Young of Starkville (16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal); Carlous Williams (12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot); and Jayme Mitchell of Forest Hill (10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal). For Alabama, D. J. Fairly of Hoover was the only other player in double figures to add to MVP Davison’s efforts as he had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Alabama outrebounded Mississippi 40 to 39 and outshot their border rivals 46% to 41%, however, the difference was at the free throw line where Mississippi was 73% at the charity stripe to Alabama’s 70%. The teams were tied on 7 occasions and there were 14 lead changes during the game.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2020 Alabama 70, Mississippi 63 – Alabama’s All-Stars overcame a first quarter deficit and pulled away at the end of the game on a 10-0 run to earn the squad’s third straight series win over the Mississippi All-Stars 70 to 63 in the 30th annual classic played at the A. E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. The win pushed the Alabama All-Star girls to a 16-14 lead in the series that dates back to 1991. Alabama was led by Sarah Ashlee Barker of Spain Park who scored a game-high 15 points, snared 9 rebounds, and added 4 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals in 32 minutes of play and was selected as the Alabama MVP. The Mississippi MVP was Silentianna Collins of Brookhaven who scored 14 points with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Alabama trailed 6-0 to start the game and fell behind 22-16 at the end of the first quarter, but rallied to take a 37-35 halftime lead. Bama MVP Barker, Niaria “Tootie” Jones of Charles Henderson, who had 14 points in the contest, and Jamya Tyus of McAdory with 9 points led the charge to take the lead. In the third quarter, Mississippi retook the lead briefly at 52-51 on Moss Point’s Robyn Lee basket, but Alabama free throws regained the 55-53 lead at the end of the stanza. Mississippi would lead with 5:28 to play in the game as Jacorriah Bracey, the Thomas E. Edwards star and Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year notched a basket to put Mississippi up 63-60, but Alabama would pull away with a 10-0 run. Bracey would finish with 11 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds while the only other Mississippi player in double figures was Melyia Grayson of Hattiesburg who totaled 11 points with 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Mississippi outrebounded Alabama 55 to 51, and outshot Alabama 36% to 29%, however, Mississippi had 30 turnovers to Alabama’s 17.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2020 Alabama 118, Mississippi 97 – Alabama raced out to an early first half lead and set a new scoring record for an Alabama squad to down Mississippi 118 to 97 in the 30th Annual Classic at the A. E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. The Alabama win was their second consecutive victory and added to Alabama’s lead in the contests to 16-14 in the series that dates back to 1991. Alabama was paced by Alabama MVP Antwan Burnett of Sidney Lanier who poured in a game-high 25 points with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. The Mississippi MVP was Alijah Martin of North Pike who tallied 18 points with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocked shots. Alabama led at the half 54 to 44 and expanded the lead in the early stages of the second half featuring a 26-point advantage with 9:37 to play in the game. Alabama featured balanced scoring as Colby Jones of Mountain Brook matched Burnett’s double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Zondrick Garrett of Oxford chipped in 17 points while Kam Woods of Pinson Valley added 12 points, and East Limestone’s Austin Harvell totaled 12 points to conclude all of the Alabama double digit scorers. Besides Martin, Mississippi had 3 other players in double digits including Kylan Blackmon of Oxford with 17 points, Keondre Montgomery of Forest Hill with 13 points, and Treylan Smith of Petal who added 11 points. Alabama outshot Mississippi 46% to 45.6% and outrebounded the Magnolia State team 58 to 46. Alabama outscored Mississippi 20-9 off turnovers and 26-12 in second chance points while forcing 19 turnovers to their own 11 for the game.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2019 Alabama 101, Mississippi 82 – Alabama’s All-Stars raced to an early first half lead and poured on additional second half points to claim their second straight victory over the Mississippi All-Stars 101 to 82 in the 29th classic played at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on the campus of Alabama State in Montgomery, Alabama. With the win, the Alabama All-Star girls took a 15-14 lead in the series that dates back to 1991. Alabama was paced by River Baldwin of Pleasant Home who had a double-double by halftime and was named the Alabama MVP as she finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Baldwin’s efforts gave her Alabama teammates a 48 to 34 lead at the half as Alabama never trailed in the contest. Hannah White of Columbus was selected as the Mississippi MVP as she scored 16 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist including hitting 7-of-8 free throws. Besides Baldwin’s performance, Alabama, which outshot Mississippi 41.6% to 27.2% for the game, had a total of five players in double digits including Thaniya Marks of Wenonah with 17, Jaylyn Sherrod of Ramsay with 15, Skyla Knight of Hoover and Annie Hughes of Pisgah with 10 each. Including MVP White, Mississippi had three players in double digit scoring: Jayla Alexander of Pearl with 16, and Jalisa Outlaw of Starkville with 10. Alabama outrebounded Mississippi 73 to 59 for the game.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2019 Alabama 107, Mississippi 90 – Despite the Mississippi All-Stars leading at the half 47 to 39, the Alabama All-Stars roared back in the second stanza to outscore Mississippi 68 to 43 and capture a 107 to 90 win in the 29th Annual Classic at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on the campus of Alabama State in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama victory snapped a 3-game Mississippi winning streak and gave Alabama a 15-14 lead in the series that dates back to 1991. Alabama was led by Cameron Tucker of Wenonah who poured in 18 points with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals and was named the Alabama MVP. The Mississippi MVP was Jaylen Forbes of Florence who scored a game-high 20 points with 7 rebounds and 1 steal. Along with Tucker, Alabama had strong inside play from Trendon Watford of Mountain Brook, who scored 13 points with 12 rebounds, and Demond Robinson of Lee-Montgomery, who added 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. DeAntoni Gordon of LeFlore and JaLon Johnson of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa were the other double digit scorers for Alabama with 14 and 10 points respectively. Mississippi had double digit performances from Brandon Weatherspoon of Canton, who matched Jaylen Forbes with 20 points and 7 rebouds, and D. J. Washington of Greenville who chipped in 11 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Alabama outshot Mississippi 50.6% to 33.3% and outrebounded their counterparts 60 to 54.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2018 Alabama 109, Mississippi 96 – Alabama snapped the Mississippi All-Stars’ two-game winning streak by roaring to a 109 to 96 win in the 28th classic played at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, on the Mississippi College campus in Clinton, Mississippi. Alabama raced out to a 12-2 run to open the game and led at the end of the first quarter 28 to 21 before the Magnolia State All-Stars could rally. Alabama led 55-49 at the half and outscored Mississippi 35 to 27 in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The victory for the visitors evened the overall series at 14 wins apiece and the 109 points scored by Alabama was the second most points scored overall in the series. Mississippi led only once briefly at 32-31 with 6:20 remaining in the half, but the Alabama team quickly pulled away. Zipporah Broughton of R. E. Lee High in Montgomery was named the Alabama MVP as she led the way for her squad with 16 points—11 of which were scored in the second half—along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Alabama had six players reach double figures in points including Ajah Wayne of Ramsay who had 17, Hannah Barber of Homewood who tallied 15 points, Eboni Williams of Hoover who scored 13, and Brooke Hampel of Hazel Green who had 10 points. Tabreea Gandy of Starkville was named the Mississippi MVP as she scored 7 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Chyna Allen of Harrison Central led the Mississippi team in scoring with a game-high 27 points including five 3-pointers. The only other Magnolia State All-Stars who managed double digits in scoring were Kealy Wilson of Horn Lake, who scored 11 points, and Kayla Simmons of Brandon, who had 10 points and 9 rebounds.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2018 Mississippi 127, Alabama 90 – The Mississippi All-Star boys captured their third straight win in the series with a dominating 127 to 90 win over the Alabama All-Stars in the 28th Annual Classic at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. The 127 points scored by the Magnolia State squad were the most scored by any team in series history and the Mississippi All-Stars set a team record for largest margin of victory with a 37-point difference. The three-peat Mississippi win evened the series record at 14-14. Mississippi was led by team MVP DeAnthony Tipler of Ashland who scored 21 points including 8-of-12 field goals and 5-of-9 three-pointers to go with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Along with Tipler, a total of seven Magnolia State players reached double digits in scoring: Miles Miller of Meridian (19); LaDarius Marshall of Forest Hill (15); Javian Fleming of Canton (12); DaQuan Smith of Holly Springs (13); Tyron Brewer of Meridian (12); and Robert Woodard of Columbus (11). Mississippi led at halftime 57-46 and outrebounded Alabama overall 57 to 43. The Alabama MVP was Jamari Blackmon of Hoover who had a game-high 22 points including a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line along with 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. The only other Alabama players reaching double figures were Diante Wood of Sacred Heart with 11 points and Jared Sherfield of Paul W. Bryant with 10 points.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2017 Mississippi 93, Alabama 86 – Mississippi MVP Myah Taylor of Olive Branch led the Magnolia State ladies in erasing an early 12-point deficit and pacing Mississippi to a 93-86 win over the Alabama All-Stars in the 27th classic played at the Dunn-Oliver Arena on the Alabama State Campus in Montgomery, Alabama.
With their second consecutive win—their third in the last four years, the Mississippi squad took over the series lead at 14-13. Taylor had 25 points with five assists and four steals and helped slice the Alabama lead to 50-46 at the half. Breonca Ducksworth of West Jones, the smallest player in the game, scored 17 points and had 7 steals and hit 7-of-9 free throws including 4 made from the charity stripe in the final minutes to clinch the Mississippi win. Mississippi scored 9 of the game’s last 11 points after the game was tied at 84 apiece. The Mississippi comeback overshadowed a record-setting performance by Alabama’s Unique Thompson of Faith Academy who had 34 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots and was named the Alabama MVP. Thompson’s performance broke the Alabama scoring record in the series set by Sylacauga’s Shakayla Thomas in 2014. The Mississippi guards forced 36 Alabama turnovers which led to 22 more shot attempts than Alabama. Other double digit scorers for Mississippi included Keyara Jones of Heidelberg who had 14; Alayjah Sherer of Tupelo who tallied 11; and Jailin Cherry of Pascacoula who poured in 10 points. Alabama’s other double digit scorer was Alexus Dye of Wenonah, who had a double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2017 Mississippi 96, Alabama 91 – Led by Mississippi MVP Jarkel Joiner of Oxford, the Mississippi boys team defeated Alabama 96-91 in the 27th Annual Classic at the Dunn-Oliver Arena on the campus of Alabama State in Montgomery, Alabama. The Magnolia State win was their second consecutive victory over Alabama and cut the Alabama series lead to 14-13. The boys win also marked the second straight year and ninth overall in which the Mississippi boys and girls squad claimed both games on the same date. Mississippi MVP Joiner scored 24 points—12 in each half—and was 10-of-15 from the field to pace his squad. Mississippi out-rebounded Alabama 62 to 37 to dominate the boards. Mississippi led 47-45 at the half and proceeded to outscore Alabama 49-46 in the second half to claim the win. Mississippi led 91-88 in the final minute, but Alabama missed a 3-point shot and a dunk in the last seconds. Free throws by Mississippi then put the game out of reach. The Alabama MVP was Herb Jones of Hale County who finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and three steals. Other double digit scorers for Mississippi included Ledarrius Brewer of Meridian who had 12 points; Troymain Crosby of Laurel who added 17 points; and Dewayne Cox of Ripley who had 11 points. Alabama’s other double figure scorers were Shy’m Cunningham of Midfield who tallied 18; Malik Burnett of Lee-Huntsville who poured in 12 points; and Javan Johnson of Austin who had 11 points and 6 rebounds.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2016 Mississippi 78, Alabama 77 – Mississippi MVP Nique Cherry of Heidelberg and Savannah Jones of St. Martin combined on offense and defense in the final seconds of the game to topple the Alabama All-Stars by a slim 78-77 margin in the 26th classic played at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, at Mississippi College in Clinton. With the win, Mississippi evened the series with Alabama at 13 wins apiece. Cherry scored 17 points, had 10 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 steals to seal the MVP award and led Mississippi from a 10 point fourth quarter deficit to the 1-point win. With 39.8 seconds left and Alabama leading 77-75, Mississippi’s Savannah Jones drained a 3-pointer that would be the deciding basket and her final points on an 11-point night. On the ensuing possession, Cherry came up with her 3rd and most critical steal of the game with 5.5 seconds to end an Alabama scoring threat and close out the win. Jailyn Maddox of Hoover was named the Alabama MVP as she had a game-high 19 points. Kaitlyn Rodgers of Wenonah scored 15 points while Japonica James of Leflore poured in 10 points for Alabama. For Mississippi, other double digit scorers included Tori Mallory of Itawamba AHS, who had 13 points, and Brittany Rose of Lanier, who tossed in 11 points. Alabama started the game on a 9-0 run, led at halftime by a 39-35 margin, and was in command entering the fourth quarter with a 60-50 lead before the heroics of Cherry and Jones. The Mississippi squad scored 10 of the last 12 points in the game to secure the victory.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2016 Mississippi 85, Alabama 83 – Mississippi MVP Taze Moore of Southaven raced the length of the court for a layup as the buzzer sounded to lead Mississippi to an 85-83 win over the Alabama All-Stars at the A. E. Wood Coliseum, Mike Jones Court, at Mississippi College in Clinton in the 26th annual all-star classic. The Magnolia State win snapped a four-game winning streak for Alabama and sliced the Alabama lead in the series to 14-12. Moore scored a game-high 26 points and added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a performance that clinched the Mississippi MVP award. Moore scored 6 of Mississippi’s final 8 points in the final 2:30 of the game. Starkville’s Tyson Carter scored 14 points and made critical free throws for Mississippi down the stretch while Stacee St. Julian of St. Martin added 11 points. Alabama’s Trey Petty of Westminster Christian Academy was named the Alabama MVP as he scored 21 points with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Petty connected on a 3-pointer in the final seconds which tied the game at 83-all until Moore’s end-to-end heroics. For the Alabama squad, Justin Hopkins of J. O. Johnson finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds while John Pettway of Keith and Jack Kline of Mountain Brook scored 10 points each. Mississippi led at halftime 32-31, but the teams exchanged the lead several times in the final minutes. Hopkins of Alabama tallied with 42 seconds left to give Alabama an 80-79 lead, but Mississippi’s Moore answered with 2 free throws with 35.2 seconds remaining for an 81-80 lead and then added 2 more at the charity stripe for an 83-80 tally before Petty’s trey and Moore’s game-winner.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2015 Alabama 93, Mississippi 87—The Alabama All-Star girls used a first half advantage to capture the 25th Annual Alabama/Mississippi All Star girls basketball classic by a score of 93 to 87 at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome on the campus of Alabama State at Montgomery, Alabama. The win lifted the Alabama All-Stars to a series lead of 13-12. Kristian Hudson of Clay-Chalkville led the way for the Alabama squad with a game-high 24 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals and was named the Alabama MVP. Hudson received scoring help from her teammates Salina Smith of Lee-Huntsville (15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal); Shaquera Wade of Huntsville (15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals); and Salina Virola of Lee-Huntsville (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist). Mississippi was paced by MVP Jazzmun Holmes of Harrison Central who poured in 17 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. The other double digit scorers for Mississippi included Octavia Boyd of Hattiesburg (14 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot, 3 steals) and Alondrea Rush of Horn Lake (13 points, 2 reboundsk, 2 blocked shots, 1 assist). Alabama grabbed a 46 to 39 halftime lead and kept up the pace for the win. Alabama outshot Mississippi 47% to 39% and outrebounded their Magnolia State counterparts 54 to 43. The lead was tied 3 times but only changed hands one time as Alabama coasted to the victory.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2015 Alabama 101, Mississippi 88—The Alabama All-Star boys turned a close game into a romp with a 101 to 88 win at the Oliver-Dunn Acadome in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 25th game in the series. The win gave the Alabama squad a three-game cushion in the series at 14-11. Down three at the half by a 53 to 50 score, Alabama outscored Mississippi 48 to 38 in the second half to claim the win. Dazon Ingram of Theodore was named the Alabama MVP as he scored 12 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Alabama’s Brandon Austin of Carver-Montgomery had a team-high 16 points with 5 rebounds and 1 steal while other Alabama scorers were Dylan Smith of Hoover (12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) and Lawson Schaffer of Cullman (15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal). The Mississippi MVP was Leroy Buchanan of Madison Central who tallied a game-high 20 points, with 5 boards and 2 steals. Along with Buchanan, Mississippi had 5 players in double figures including: Quinndary Weatherspoon of Velma Jackson (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals); Bruce Stevens of Bay Springs (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals); Jerekius Davis of Provine (10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals); and Terence Davis of Southaven (10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot). Alabama outrebounded Mississippi 53 to 48 and outshot their rivals 48.8% to 41.9%. There were 10 lead changes in the game and the contest was tied 3 times, but Alabama used the second half to gain the win and help sweep both games for the 9th time.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GIRLS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2014 Mississippi 95, Alabama 89 – Victoria Vivians of Scott Central set the all-time scoring series record in the 24th annual game by pouring in 36 points with 15 rebounds leading Mississippi to a 95-89 victory. The Magnolia State win at the Lee Williams Athletics & Assembly Center on the campus of Jackson State evened the series at 12-12 and marked Mississippi’s fourth victory in the last five games between the all-star girls. For her efforts, Vivians was named the Mississippi MVP while Shakayla Thomas of Sylacauga was selected as the Alabama MVP for scoring 31 points and setting a new Alabama all-star scoring record for the game. Mississippi slowly built up and maintained a safe scoring margin and led 45-38 at halftime. Christa Reed of Bay High had 14 points and Kayla Gordon of Meridian added 9 points and 17 rebounds for Mississippi. Alexis Jennings of Sparkman scored 19 points with 7 rebounds and Morgan William of Shades Valley tallied 12 points for the Alabama squad.
MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA BOYS ALL STAR BASKETBALL GAME
2014 Alabama 90, Mississippi 83 – For the fourth straight year, Alabama defeated Mississippi with a solid 90-83 win at the Lee Williams Athletics & Assembly Center on the campus of Jackson State. Alabama MVP Riley Norris of Albertville led his team to the win with 16 points and 9 rebounds. The Alabama team jumped out to a huge lead from the opening tipoff and led 45-32 at halftime. Mississippi was paced by a strong MVP performance from Devin Booker of Moss Point who scored 31 points with 5 rebounds and 3 assists and tied the Mississippi scoring record for the game set by Murrah’s Othello Harrington in 1992. Alabama had five players in double figures with Norris (16), Divine Myles of Blount (10), Nathaniel Potts of Athens (10), William Lee of Dallas County (10), and Lewis Sullivan of Hazel Green (10). Other Mississippi player scoring of note included Jacob Ivory of Murrah (17), Dimitri Cook of Gulfport (12), and Xavian Stapleton of Madison Central (11). With the win, the Alabama boys tied the series streak record with 4 in a row set from 1997-2000 and added to their series lead by a 13-11 margin.
