Mississippi didn’t have much luck against neighboring Alabama in the 33rd annual Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic on Saturday in Mobile, Ala., at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama.
Home-standing Alabama swept both games, with the girls taking a 88-74
decision while the ‘Bama boys won 91-72.
The Alabama girls now lead the all-time series 19-14, while the Alabama boys have an 18-15 advantage including two straight wins in this annual event.
In the boys’ game, Alabama used a balanced 40-point explosion in the fourth frame to extend a nine-point lead after three quarters and coast home with the win.
The host squad led by just one point at the end of the first period at 14-13. But Alabama used a long-range advantage in the second stanza to push its lead to 14 points at 38-24 at halftime thanks to four 3 -pointers in the period. South Alabama signee John Broom of Jacksonville High had drained a pair of those treys.
Team Mississippi bounced back a bit in the third frame, though, and cut the deficit to that aforementioned nine-point deficit by outscoring Alabama 18-13 in the period.
That would be it for all thoughts of a happy ending due to a big second-half comeback for the Magnolia State squad, however, as Alabama heated up to streak home with their second consecutive win in the rivalry.
Alabama head coach Rhett Harrelson of Enterprise High watched as every player on his team scored at least two points and each saw at least 15 minutes of action. Every player also registered at least one rebound as well.
Izzy Miles of Grissom High was the Most Valuable Player for Alabama as he tallied 12 points and added four rebounds an assist and committed no turnovers. Kerrington Kiel of Ramsay along with Miles led Alabama with 12 points each. Ramsay is a Troy signee. Cameron Collins of Austin High added 10 points to the winning effort as did Collins and Antonio Jackson of Mobile Blount who is a University of Alabama signee.
Mississippi did possess the top scorer in the game, as Horn Lake standout Dimp Pernell of Horn Lake poured in a game-high 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Pernell is a Jones Community College signee.
Team Missippi placed a trio of players in double-digit scoring, as De’mondre Graham of Southeast Lauderdale tallied 14 points and Moss Point standout Kedrick Osby chipped in 10 points.
Osby, one of four players from the “Southern Six” picked for the prestigious squad, also was five of six from the free throw stripe and he had three rebounds. Gulfport post player Kylan Howze had six rebounds for Mississippi as well. The Biloxi Dandy Dozen duo of James guard James Turner and forward Duran Parish also contributed, as Parish had four rebounds and three assists and Turner had an assist and a steal.
Mississippi’s head coach was Robert Green of Tupelo High.
