By Austin Bishop
JACKSON — The McAdams High School girls basketball team is 27-2 on the season and that's just not good enough for first-year head coach Marvin McGee.
The Lady Bulldogs have won the South State title and will be playing for their second consecutive MHSAA Class 1A State Championship on Thursday at 1 against Myrtle, but that isn't the pot at the end of the rainbow as far as the team is concerned.
"I feel like we are underrated," McGee said of his team that has been ranked No. 1 in Class 1A by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger since the start of the season. "I believe we can compete with anybody on any level. I have been to the (big) schools trying to get a game set up. I've been to Murrah and Raymond and they said they didn't want to jeopardize their record. Evidently they are thinking the same thing I am."
Senior guard Dierra Gilmore, who along with twin Kierra have used their quickness to terrorize opponents all season, is pretty clear about what is on her mind.
"We are going for the Grand Slam," she said matter-of-factly during the press conference following the Lady Bulldogs 56-44 win over H.W. Byers in the semifinals on Friday. The Grand Slam is a tournament featuring the champions from all six classes that begins the week after the state tournament.
But first McAdams has to get through Myrtle and super 6-foot sophomore Aspriona Gilbert.
"We watched them and they do have an okay team," McGee said of Myrtle who thumped West Lincoln 57-30 to reach the title game.
When asked by a reporter what his team would try to do to defend Gilbert, McGee was quick to respond.
"We don't focus on their big girl, we focus on them trying to hold all of our players," he said. "We are a team. That has been the big thing about this team this year."
The win over Byers, who McAdams lost to in the first round of the Grand Slam last year, wasn't easy in the early going.
McAdams led 12-8 after one quarter of play and 26-19 at the half, before taking control of the game in the third quarter.
Kierra Gilmore scored 21 points to lead the winners, while Kanesha Phillips hit for 12 and Dierra Gilmore — who was held scoreless in the first half — finished with 10.
