STARKVILLE — The Greenville High School boys basketball team may have let the lead slip away Tuesday night, but the Hornets never lost their composure as they roared back in the fourth quarter to defeat Germantown 71-58 in the semifinals of the MHSAA Region 3-6A Tournament at Starkville.
The victory by the Hornets (12-12) on Tuesday advances them into Friday’s championship game where they will play Starkville. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday wins also means the Hornets advance to the Class 6A state playoffs which start next week. Greenville will host its first-round game next Tuesday.
Greenville coach Delmar Sprouse credited leaders Morgan Green and Jequann Roberson with helping his team come back and win.
Sprouse said a big key to his team’s recent surge was moving Green into the point guard position. Green, who leads Greenville with a 22-points-per-game average, has been the Hornets’ starting point guard the last two games.
“We needed someone with a little more experience running the point, and I knew Morgan could step into the position and do a great job,” Coach Sprouse said.
After the Hornets had relinquished their lead in the third quarter, Coach Sprouse called a timeout and insisted his players get back to playing team-first basketball.
“They came back out and started playing the right way,” Coach Sprouse said. “Right now everything is starting to jell for us, and everything is going smooth.”
Sprouse and his Hornets know they will have their hands full when they go back to Starkville Friday night to play the 20-2 Yellowjackets in the championship game. Starkville defeated Greenville in two regular season games this season.
“We are not going there just to go there,” Coach Sprouse said. “We are going there to try and win the championship.”
