Murray, dominating defense, carry Harrison Central to berth in 7A state final

The old axiom is that defense wins championships. Tuesday, defense, with a healthy dose of Saniyah Murray, carried Harrison Central to victory in a Class 7A girls basketball state semifinal.

The Red Rebelettes defeated Madison Central, 56-40, to advance to Friday’s state championship game, where they will face Starkville, which defeated Biloxi 41-34.

Madison Central had no answers for Saniyah Murray, as the Harrison Central star poured in 20 points while dominating the paint offensively and defensively.

Harrison Central held high-scoring Madison Central to 38 fewer points than it scored in a quarterfinal win over Tupelo and 28 fewer points than it scored in a first-round win over Horn Lake.

The Jaguars were stone cold from 3-point range, finishing the game 0-for-16 from behind the stripe as part of an 11-for-44 shooting night from the field.

Harrison Central dominated the second half after holding a 17-15 halftime lead. The Red Rebelettes outscored the Jaguars 39-25 after the half, steadily pulling away after the break.

This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 4:55 PM.