By Austin Bishop
JACKSON — The Lady Bulldogs of McAdams High School continued making their point on Thursday afternoon, rolling to an 83-72 win over Newton High School that really wasn't that close.
The win in the first round of the MHSAA Grand Slam at the Mississippi Coliseum thrusts McAdams into Friday's semifinal round against Class 6A Champion Horn Lake at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will play for the championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
"We can compete, that's what I've been saying the whole time," said McAdams head coach Marvin McGee, who continues to stress the point that his team and the players aren't getting the respect they deserve.
"We should have had some Dandy Dozens and we should have had some All-Stars. We have been overlooked because of the size of our school."
Each year the Jackson Clarion-Ledger picks the top 12 girls and boys basketball players in the state, dubbing them Dandy Dozens. In post-season interviews during the MHSAA Class 1A State Tournament the last two weeks and Thursday at the Grand Slam, McGee has been sure to make that point to Clarion-Ledger prep sports writer Rod Walker, who helps make those selections.
"The point is being made," McGee said of his team's run to the state crown and first-round win in the Grand Slam. "We have come to play. Just because we are 1A, that doesn't mean anything."
With the win over the No. 8-ranked Lady Tigers McAdams moves to 9-2 on the season, but senior guard Dierra Gilmore says that's not enough.
"We felt we should have been in the Top 10 last year," she said. "I'm not satisfied until we win it."
Despite being plagued with foul trouble throughout the game, the Lady Bulldogs just kept taking it right to the Lady Tigers.
Marquita Phillips picked up her fourth foul with 5:09 left in the third quarter, having being held scoreless and having only three rebounds at that point.
The fourth foul seemed to energize Phillips, as she scored all eight of her points in the last five minutes of the quarter and also picked up six rebounds and blocked a shot during that span.
"The way I told coach was that either I foul out or I step up, so I stepped up," Phillips said.
Dierra Gilmore led McAdams with 32 points, including a trio of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, while also claiming seven rebounds and coming up with seven steals. Kierra Gilmore scored 25 points and had six assists, while Precious Ellington had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Marquita Phillips had 12 rebounds to go with her eight points. Kanesha Phillips also scored eight points for the Lady Bulldogs.
