Local teams match up with Starkville in MCC event

Rocky Higginbotham / sports editor
The Meridian Star

The boys’ and girls’ teams from Starkville High School are the only non-area teams participating in the Meridian Community College Classic Saturday.

And when they arrive at MCC’s Graham Gymnasium, they’ll be involved in the two marquee matchups of the day.

Both of Starkville’s squads are ranked, and they’ll be involved in a pair of top-10 showdowns against the Southeast Lauderdale girls and Meridian High boys in the final two of six games on tap for MCC Saturday.

“We’re really proud of those two games,” MCC women’s basketball coach and athletic director Hilary Allen said. “Both teams in both of those games are ranked in the top 10, and it was almost a top-five showdown.”

Starkville’s boys, who are 9-1 on the year, moved up one spot to No. 2 in this week’s Jackson Clarion-Ledger Super 10 poll. Meridian’s boys, meanwhile, are 9-2 and ranked No. 3 after being No. 1 a week ago.

The Starkville girls are No. 9, but were No. 6 a week ago before a surprising loss to Noxubee County — a team the Lady Yellowjackets had already beaten by 21 points earlier this season — on Saturday night in Macon. The Lady Jackets are 9-1, while fifth-ranked and defending Class 3A state champion Southeast is 13-0.

“If Starkville hadn’t lost Saturday, it would have at least been No. 5 vs. No. 6,” Allen said.

Saturday’s MCC Classic gets under way at noon with a matchup between the Calvary Christian School boys and Grace Christian out of Louisville.

At 1:30 and 3 p.m., Northeast Lauderdale and Bay Springs will lock horns in a doubleheader rematch of their contests from earlier this season — both won by Northeast.

The Southeast boys then take the floor at 4:30 p.m. against Class 5A Wayne County before the Southeast and Starkville girls tangle at 6:15. Meridian’s boys meet Starkville in the finale at 8 p.m.