Bay High girls end an 8-year drought, but they know hard work, and Jackson, are ahead
Kelton Thompson’s first senior class has paid a lot of dues. The Lady Tigers hope hard lessons learned pay off this year.
Bay High is on pace to earn their most wins since the undefeated 2013 state championship team , and just sewed up an eight-year first by capturing the top seed in the district.
Thompson’s team managed to clinch the spot with two games to spare by sweeping regional rival Pass Christian amid what has grown into a 10-game win streak. Despite the success, Thompson — an experienced coach who also helms the boys program — is keeping everyone’s eyes forward.
“It’s an accomplishment, that was one of the things on our list of goals, but it’s down there a little bit,” Thompson told the Sun Herald. “It gives you the best spot in the (district) tournament, but it doesn’t give you very much after that. We’re proud of that, but we’ve got to get a lot better. We’ll take it right now, but if we want to reach our other goals, we’ve got to be a lot better.”
The Lady Tigers have reason to hold off on celebrating. The class of seven seniors leading the team has seen the championship round in its district, but has yet to bring home a trophy.
But that group has played a lot of basketball together under Thompson, and the experience is showing up on the floor.
“I’ve been with them four years and I’ve got a bunch of seniors on this team,” Thompson said. “Just seeing their development and how far they’ve come in those four years it makes it special.”
How they got here
Bay High hasn’t lost since Dec. 16 and its fast, balanced attack is a big reason why. The Lady Tigers are guard-centric with experienced ball-handlers that lead a frenetic pace.
The piece that unlocks the offense, though, is on the low block. Nakeria Coleman is a Southwest Mississippi Community College signee that sucks in defenses with her post presence and a dominating force on the glass.
Her play allows BHS to work its offense from the inside-out, freeing up the guards on the perimeter.
“Nakeria (Coleman) has come a long way,” Thompson said. “We’ve been proud of her. She was definitely a project four years ago. (I’m) very excited to see her get a chance to continue her basketball career and her education at the next level. We rely on her a lot. She’s a weapon under the goal and does a lot to provide space for our guards.”
The result of Coleman’s workshows up in important moments. Locked in a battle with the Pirates on Tuesday, Kayla Fricke got three open looks from the deep corner and buried all three shots to spur an 11-2 run that pushed the Lady Tigers to a 34-27 win.
Taniyah Lewis benefits from the space, as well, and it allows her to operate as the team’s on-the-floor leader. For her, the team-wide bond she helps hold together is imperative to the Lady Tigers’ success.
“We’re not perfect, but knowing that you can’t be perfect and still going out there and contributing as a team and coming together as a team, we are a family,” Lewis said. “Even though we don’t like each other every day, we’re still a family. We want people to know us by that. We’re not perfect, but we’re going to come together at the end of the day.”
BHS’s chemistry is being tested by a six-game road trip the Lady Tigers are currently halfway through.
At this point, though, the experienced and gritty roster looks forward to the opportunity to bring their brand to opposing gyms.
“We’re high-intensity,” Fricke said. “It’s going to be a long fight for them because we don’t stop.”
Lewis says the next goal in BHS’ sights is a district championship. It would end a drought that has plagued a program with a storied tradition of success.
Thompson believes this team is more than capable of ending that drought and doing a lot more afterwards.
“This team has a lot of potential,” Thompson said. “Our sights are set on Jackson and getting to a state championship and winning a state championship. When you’re at Bay High, whether it’s boys or girls, you walk in that gym and there’s banners hanging up and on the girls side there’s three banners and three gold balls staring in your face.
“That’s always going to be the ultimate goal. This team has an opportunity to put themselves in that position.”
Bay High plays Moss Point on Friday and will eventually return home to face Poplarville on Feb. 2 for Senior Night.
