The Greenwood High boys basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Thursday night against Starkville High, a Class 6A powerhouse ranked among the top 10 teams in the state.
Yellowjackets star Makhi Myles, a 6-foot-6 forward with offers from Mississippi State and Ole Miss, made his presence felt on both ends of the floor in their 81-57 victory over the Bulldogs.
Starkville took an early double-digit lead, but Greenwood (5-1) responded with a run thanks to an offensive explosion by junior guard Javeon “Redd” Smith. Smith hit 4-of-6 shots from deep en route to a 20-point evening, helping the Bulldogs climb back down just 31-28 midway through the second quarter.
The Yellowjackets answered with a run of their own, though, stretching their lead back to double digits as they led 47-32 at halftime.
“They showed us good competition,” Smith said. “They showed us we need to work harder in practice, knock down more shots and contest more shots.”
Myles put the exclamation mark on Starkville’s win at the end of the third quarter with a blocked shot and putback slam to give the Yellowjackets a 62-41 advantage entering the final frame.
Senior guard J.T. Lawrence finished with nine points, three steals and three assists for Greenwood.
Thursday’s loss proved that the Bulldogs have a lot of work left to do in the frontcourt. But junior forward Kizear Little showed flashes of potential in the paint, racking up eight points, three boards and two blocks.
Greenwood hosts crosstown rival Amanda Elzy on Saturday afternoon.
In the girls matchup, Starkville beat Greenwood, 58-23.
Alexis Taylor had 10 points, and Arieyanna Glover added eight. Shiloh Hatch grabbed seven rebounds, and Janaya Scott pulled down six boards.
The Bulldogs (3-3) committed 21 turnovers. They host Elzy on Saturday at noon.
- Contact Riley Overend at 662-581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow @OverendOut on Twitter.
