Horn Lake takes North Half crown

from CommercialAppeal.com

Savannah Kimmons emerged from the locker room following Monday night's game against Tupelo with an ice pack draped over her left hand.

Horn Lake coach Janna Lyons, however, was quick to dismiss the notion of her power forward having sustained an injury to her left index finger.

"Man, there is nothing wrong with that girl," Lyons jokingly said.

If, in fact, Kimmons was hampered by a hand injury earlier in the week, she did not show any signs of it during Saturday night's MHSAA Class 6A North Half championship game against Northwest Rankin.

The 6-1 junior was the catalyst of the Lady Eagles' 53-42 victory that earned them their third consecutive North Half title, in large part because the visiting Lady Cougars had no answers for her in the post.

Kimmons scored a game-high 22 points and produced the bulk of damage during a pivotal second quarter after Horn Lake (22-3) had battled to a 13-10 lead. She scored 12 points in the second, mostly on turnarounds in the lane and stickbacks, as the reigning state champs outscored a seemingly fatigued Northwest Rankin squad 18-5 in the second to build a 31-18 lead at the half.

Prior to Saturday's contest, both teams had secured berths to the Class 6A state tournament in Jackson, Miss., that begins March 2. However, Horn Lake clinched the tournament's No. 1 seed for the second straight year and will face Meridian in the state quarterfinals. Northwest Rankin (21-8), the Region 3-6A runnerup, will play Jim Him out of Jackson in the quarters.

Senior swing man Brittani Biggins scored 12 points and Brittany Grant added 10 for the Lady Eagles who extended their unbeaten streak to six games.