Greenville High School boys basketball coach Janee’ Ford has been telling her team all season to keep fighting through adversity. And on Saturday night, her Hornets did just that in their 67-66 victory over the Gentry Rams.
Coach Ford’s Hornets trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but the boys from Greenville kept fighting back until the end.
Greenville junior Le’Kinton McNeil made the game winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Hornets the victory.
“I wasn’t surprised at all that Le’Kinton made the shot. He has been working hard all season, and this was a reward for him,” Coach Ford said.
LeKinton’s game winner was set up after Greenville senior Justin Juitt made a steal with 4.8 seconds left. If Juitt had not stolen the ball, Coach Ford had instructed her team to foul.
“This was a big loss for us,” Coach Ford said. “We had a loss on Friday (to Lake Cormorant), and this was a great bounce back win.”
Saturday’s victory improved Greenville’s record to 8-8 this season, although the Hornets are still 0-3 in district 5A-region 2.
Greenville is next scheduled to host Clarksdale on Wednesday and Lafayette on Friday.
The Hornets still have time to make a strong finish to the post season, but Coach Ford said this will require her team to keep fighting hard.
“We just need to keep playing through adversity, and we need to continue playing as a team,” she said.
Senior Aaron Davenport, who is averaging 18 points per game, has been the foundation for much of Greenville’ success this season. Davenport also leads his team in assists (2.8 per game).
McNeil, another speedy guard, has also shown much improvement. McNeil is now averaging 15 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per games.
Junior Antonian Johnson is Greenville’s third leading scorer at 13 points per game. Senior Tico Lott leads the Hornets in rebounds at 5.5 per game.
The Greenville High School basketball teams missed an entire season last year because of COVID-19.
Ford became the first-ever woman to lead the boys’ basketball team in the school's history, which was established in 1866. In addition, she is likely the first-ever woman to coach a high school boys basketball team in the Mississippi Delta.
Ford played basketball at Greenville-Weston High School from 2003-2007. She graduated from Mississippi Valley State University in 2013, and she is expected to receive her master’s degree from Jackson State University later this year.
