albany works overtime

By Sam Muffoletto The Livingston Parish News

JACKSON (MiSS.) — Former Walker High basketball standout Taylor Meades, who knew his way around the 3-point circle during his playing days inside the Glenn Ellis Gym, is making his mark known at Millsaps College as well.

The junior was recently named to the first team of the Division II All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Meades, who led his team in points with 294, collected more than half of them outside the arc with 51 3-point buck-ets in 134 attempts for a 38 percent accuracy.

Averaging 12.3 points per game, Meades connected 99 of 245 total field goals (40 percent), along with 71 percent (45 of 65) free throw shooting.

The 6-1, 185-pound guard also dished out 16 assists, had eight steals and averaged 1.4 rebounds per game, while turning the ball over just 34 times on the season.

Millsaps, however, finished the season just 8-16 overall and 3-13 in conference play.

Meades scored in double-figures in eight of his final nine games, averag-ing better than 16 points per outing.

One of Meades’ biggest


JACKSON (MiSS.) – Former Livingston Parish girls basketball “Player of the Year” Regena Jackson is making the most out of her sec-ond chance in college hoops, as the one-time DSHS standout has collected her second conference MVP trophy at Belhaven Uni-versity.

And this season, the 5-foot-7 senior guard isn’t having to share it with anyone else.

After earning co-player of the year honors as a junior, Jackson was recently named the Southern States Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player.

Jackson and her teammates, however, aren’t through just yet, as the Lady Blazers are headed to the NAIA National Tourna-ment, scheduled for March 14-20 in Frank-fort, Kentucky.

Twice so far this season, Jackson has

SportsSportsthe livingston parish news thursday, March 8, 2012 A8

GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

DaviD NormaND | The News

Albany’s Lauren Thompson goes up for a layup that just misses at the buzzer in the first overtime action of their Southeast Regional basketball playoff game against St. James High in Hammond Friday night. St. James’ Jonquell Jackson tries to defend. Thompson had 22 points for the Lady Hornets, including two clutch free throws in the first overtime to extend the game.


St. James’ Korielle Tucker tries to guard Albany’s Shelby Stewart as she dribbles down court in early first quarter action of their Southwest Regional action Friday night in Hammond. Tucker led a St. James comeback to force the game into overtime, but then fouled out as Albany prevailed. Stewart picked up four fouls in the first quarter, but managed to avoid that fifth foul the rest of the extended game.


Albany center Danielle Keith dribbles around St. James defender Nytiana Joseph to take the ball to basket late in second overtime action of their Southeast Regional basketball playoff thriller in Hammond Friday night. Albany won 64-62.


HAMMOND — Playing your hearts out. Spilling your guts. Leaving everything out on the floor.

Pick your favorite sports-game cliché, or roll them all into one. Few words or phrases can properly describe Albany’s 64-62 double-overtime vic-tory over de-fending state champions St. James Friday night in Class 3A semifinal girls basket-ball action at the Southeast Regionals on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University.

But unfortunately for the Lady Hornets, who last won the state title nine years ago on that very same floor at the University Center, Albany and its faithful won’t be able to drive just five minutes to the championship game this time around, but rather will have to journey some five hours to Ruston in hopes of capturing their sixth girls title in the school’s history.

The No. 2 seed Albany (31-3) will face top-seeded Loyola

Prep (33-3) at Louisiana Tech’s Thomas Assembly Center tonight for the Class 3A championship game at the Louisiana High School Ath-letics Association State Farm Top 28 Tournament.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.“It’s almost like a dream

come true for this to happen this fast,” said Albany’s first-year head coach Justin Ad-ams. “I didn’t think people gave us much of chance to even get here (semifinal), needless to say play for a state champi-onship.”

Adams, a native of Pon-chatoula and a former head coach of the PHS Lady Green Wave, made the most of a one-year stint at St. James last season, as he led the Lady Wildcats to the state title.

“This program has a lot of pride and tradition and it’s been down for the past seven years,” said Adams. “And to come here and see how hungry the com-

Albany works overtimeThriller over St. James sends Lady Hornets to state finals P

ALBANY Page a9

Meades all-conference Jackson wins MVP

JAckSoN Page a9

CLASS 3A FINALNO. 2 ALBANY vS.

NO. 1 LOYOLA PREPThursday, 6:00 p.m.

Louisiana Tech,Ruston

*Live Internet broadcast at

www.bayousportsnetwork.com

Regena JacksonTaylor Meades

MEADES Page a9

thursday, March 8, 2012 the livingston parish news A9 i

munity was and the kids. When I got there the first day of practice, I knew it was going to be tough and a jour-ney, but I knew we had the kids, if they come together and believe in each other, they could make things happen. I don’t think we have that superstar, but they believe in each other and I’ve never had a team before that plays together more than this team right here.”

The Shreveport-based Lady Flyers advanced with a 48-35 win over Westlake in the North Regionals at the Uni-versity of Louisiana-Monroe’s Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

This year, all the boys and girls championship games in all classifica-tions will be played at the same site Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Ironically in Fri-day’s contest between Albany and St. James, the lead changed hands just once in regula-tion, with the Lady Wildcats leading for nearly entire first half, before Albany tied the game at 25-all on an inside bucket by junior guard Danielle Keith with just 22 seconds to play before intermis-sion. Then with nine ticks showing, fellow junior Nyeshia Harris connected on two free throws to give the Lady Hornets a 27-25 lead at half-time.

There were no lead changes in the second half, as Albany main-tained their advantage throughout the third period, took a 39-25 lead into the fourth and remained ahead for nearly seven minutes of that stanza.

But following a driv-ing hoop through the center of the lane by Harris to give Albany a 51-47 advantage with 1:49 to play in regula-tion, St. James’ Korielle Tucker used an of-fensive put-back with 1:32 left to pull the LadyCats to within two points and then 16 seconds later, stole an Albany pass and scored on the inside to tie the game for only the sec-ond time in the contest at 51-all.

A traveling violation by Lady Hornets guard Shelby Stewart erased a scoring opportunity with four seconds left and then St. James’ Jonquell Jackson missed at the buzzer to send the game into a first overtime.

A steal and lay-in by St. James’ Jackson put the first points on the board in the first four-minute extra period and then less than a minute later, Tucker

drove in for the bucket to give the Lady Wild-cats a 55-51 lead.

Keith made one of two free throws with 2:19 left to trim the deficit to three and then fol-lowing a miss on the other end by Tucker, Albany junior Amanda Fernandez connected from outside the 3-point circle to knot-up the game at 55-all with 1:14 showing on the clock.

“We felt that was the biggest shot of the night for us,” said Adams of Fernandez’s 3-pointer, only the second of the game for the Lady Hornets. “An unsung hero. Hitting that shot was as important as Danielle scoring 24 and Lauren (Thompson) 22.

The shot gave us the momentum back to tell us that we can do this.”

St. James missed a golden opportunity on a 3-on-1 break, com-ing up empty with 24 seconds left. Moments later a departing fifth foul by Tucker sent the sophomore Thompson to the free throw line for a 1-and-1 situation with 19 seconds left in the first overtime period.

Thompson, who was already 8-for-10 from the stripe up to that point, but hadn’t vis-ited the line since the second period, calmly connected on both to give the Lady Hornets a 57-55 lead.

St. James proved not to be shaken and Jackson scored with 10 seconds left to retie the contest.

Thompson missed a lay-up at the buzzer to send the game into a second overtime, knot-ted at 57-all.

After just over a minute elapsed in the second overtime, Keith sank a pair of free throws to restore the Hornets lead at 59-57. Back came St. James with a driving hoop from Dasha Adams to knot it back up.

Then with 1:54 to play, Keith put the Lady Hor-nets up for good at 61-59 and then following a missed 3-point attempt by the Lady Wildcats, Albany pulled out the ball and began to milk the final minute of the clock.

With 26 seconds left, Keith scored again, this time on a put-back under the goal to widen the Hornets’ lead to four points.

St. James found them-selves at the free throw

line with 18 seconds left, where Shakira Braxton made the first, but missed the second in a double-bonus situ-ation.

Then with just eight ticks remaining, Stew-art hit one of two from the free throw line to sew up the win.

Jackson laid in the uncontested final bucket of the game with one second remaining for the final score.

“That was one of the most exiting and emotional games I’ve ever been a part of as a coach,” said Adams. “Double-overtime for a chance to play for the state championship. Both teams. There wasn’t anything that either team left on the court.

“Each team played their hearts out,” said Adams. “I’m just thankful that at the end of the game we were ahead. Honestly, I don’t think that we won the game, but that we were ahead when time ran out.

“St. James was a great basketball team tonight and played with everything they had,” said Adams. “If there wasn’t another game afterwards, we could have just kept going, go-ing and going.

“I am so proud of this group of kids to have done what they’ve done,” said Adams. “At the beginning of the year when I first met them, I told them, ‘girls, you’re going to play for a state championship. I know you’re going to do it and I believe you’re going to do it.’

“I told them that they may not believe it now, but it’s actually here,” said Adams. “They

bought into each other. For them to go out and do the things they did tonight, and with point guard Shelby Stewart on the bench in the first quarter with four fouls, but that’s my fault as a coach, for the rest of the kids to step up and pull us through that game, it’s a total team effort.”

St. James, which never trailed in the opening period, led by as many as seven points, before a late rally, which included a baseline bucket by Fer-nandez, pulled Albany to within two points, 13-11 at quarter’s end.

The Lady Wildcats built back as much as a 6-point lead in the sec-ond period, but Albany outscored St. James 11-4 in the final four and a half minutes of the period to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room at half-time.

Thompson scored 12 of 22 points in the second period, includ-ing 6-of-8 from the free throw line.

“She (Lauren Thomp-son) knew she was needed,” said Adams. “I told her, ‘Lauren, this is where you grow up tonight. This is what makes champions.’ And she responded tremen-dously.”

But it was a pair of free throws by Har-ris with nine seconds left that gave the Lady Hornets their first lead of the night.

“I challenged her (Keith) in the second half and told her, ‘you need to take this team on your shoulders and go where we need to go,’” said Adams. “I said, ‘can you do that?’ And she said ‘yes sir.’ And she went out

proved me right and did it.”

Keith, who had just six points in the first half, erupted for 18 points in the second half, which included a combined seven points in the two overtime periods.

Along with connect-ing on 10 of 18 field goals, Keith pulled down 22 rebounds, including 14 on the defensive end.

Keith, Thompson and Harris all played the entire 40 minutes.

Despite struggling from the field (3-for-14), Harris also finished in double-figures for the Lady Hornets with 10 points, along with nine rebounds.

Thompson finished with eight rebounds, along with three steals and two assists.

“I told (St. James head coach Mike Wood), coach, prior to the game, no matter who wins, we’re both still winners,” said Adams. “He did a real great job with those kids. It was nice to win this game and beating St. James made it all that more special. It was very emotional.”

Tucker took scoring honors for St. James with 23 points, while Adams and Braxton were both in double-figures with 14 and 12 points respectively.

The Lady Wildcats finished their season at 27-6.SJHS 13 12 10 16 6 5 — 62Albany 11 16 12 12 6 7 — 64alBany: danielle Keith 24, lauren thompson 22, nyeshia harris 10, amanda Fernandez 5, shelby stew-art 3. st. JaMes: Korielle tucker 23, dasha adams 14, shakira Brax-ton 12, Jonquell Jackson 8, Kaitlin Bartholomew 3, nytiana Joseph 2.

moments this year came against Southwestern (Texas), where he knocked down three 3-pointers with less than four seconds remaining to lift the Majors to a 65-64 road victory over the Pirates.

That proved to be Millsaps’ final win of the year as the Majors lost their final six games.

Meades scored a season-high 23 points twice this season, against the University of Dallas and Trinity University (Texas).

The son of Jeff and Donna Meades of Walker, Taylor was a four-year letterman at Walker High School, where he averaged 19 points, four assists and three rebounds per game in his senior season with the Wildcats.

The three-time All-Livings-ton Parish and All-District player finished in the 1,000-point club at Walker.

As a freshman as Jack-son (Miss.)-based Millsaps, Meades was selected to the Academic All-SCAC team. He

played in 13 games his first season as a true freshman and averaged 1.2 points, with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Last season as a sophomore, Meades played in all 25 of the Majors’ games, with 12 starts. He finished second on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points per game.

Along with leading the team with 51 3-pointer buckets, Meades also added 46 re-bounds, 21 assists and 14 steals to season ledger.

Meades is majoring in biol-ogy, with a chemistry minor.

Coached by Tim Wise and assisted by Rodney Rogan, Meades was one of six Loui-siana players on the Majors’ roster. Other local players included senior Brian Mer-key, formerly of St. Michael the Archangel, junior Tim White of Zachary, junior Nick Cortese of St. Thomas More of Lafayette, sophomore Ryan Berger of Brother Martin of New Orleans and freshman Ryan Detillieu of Mandeville High School.

been named as national NAIA “Player of the Week.”

Jackson, who is averaging 24.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this season, was also named the SSAC “Tournament MVP” in guiding the Blazers to their first-ever conference title.

After finishing league play as Western Division champions with a 16-2 record, Bel-haven defeated Auburn-Montgomery 55-47, Shorter University 56-51, and then No. 5 ranked Lee University 64-54 in the champi-onship game of the conference tournament.

Jackson, who was also named to the All-Tournament first team, scored a team-high 27 points in the title game, along with dish-ing out three assists.

Jackson scored 19 points, with six assists and three steals against Shorter, while pumping in 30 points in the tourney-opener against Auburn-Montgomery. She also had six assists and two steals, while connecting on 11 of 13 from the free throw line.

So far this season, Jackson has played in 30 games with 30 starts and has connected on 40 percent (223-of-563) of her field goals, including 58 of 161 (36 percent) from outside the 3-point circle.

Jackson is also connecting on 85 percent (226-265) of her free throws, along with 125 rebounds (4.2 average), 135 assists and 84 steals.

Last year as a junior, Jackson averaged

17.2 points and 5.8 assists per game. Along with co-MVP honors, Jackson was named to the SSAC All-Academic team, as well as a third-team NAIA All-American.

Jackson was both the Livingston Parish and district Most Valuable Player her se-nior season (2005-2006) with the Lady Jack-ets, along with being named to the first team on the Class 5A All-State team. With a career-high 48 points against Albany, she averaged 20 points, three rebounds and five assists for the year.

Jackson signed with the University of Louisiana at Monroe and in her freshman year, played in 30 games with 25 starts and averaged 5.6 points per game.

As a sophomore with the Lady War-hawks, she appeared in 30 games as well and averaged 8.7 points and nearly two rebounds a game, along with 48 assists and 43 steals.

After a two-year layoff, Jackson returned to the hardwood with the Christian-based four-year university.

“She got a second chance and has made the most of it,” said her former high school coach at DSHS, Shelly LaPrarie. “She’s the type of kid that works hard and always stays in the gym. And it’s paid off. But I always thought she had that potential.”

The daughter of Gary Harris and Kim-berlyn Washington, Regena also had two brothers who played sports at DSHS, Hezy and Jeremy Washington.


Albany’s Nyeshia Harris drives past a St. James defender with 32 seconds to go in the second overtime. Harris missed her layup try. Albany High girls head basketball coach Justin Adams leans over to referee Mike Theus as Albany’s Lauren Thompson goes to the free throw line late in the first overtime.

Meades hits 23 twice, finishes 2nd in scoring

Jackson comes back from 2-year layoff

Albany grabs lead just before half, St. James comes back lateFrom A8

From A8

From A8

‘That was one of the most exiting and emotional games I’ve ever been a part of as a coach. There wasn’t anything that either team left on the court.’ Justin Adams

albany head coach

albany works overtime

Documents