Harrison Central’s dream playoff run ends with loss in Class 7A state final

Harrison Central’s brilliant postseason run finished just shy of a state championship, as the Red Rebelettes fell 39-22 Friday to Starkville in the Class 7A girls basketball state championship game.

The Yellow Jackets, last season’s runner-up in Jackson, were powered on offense by the inside-out combination of Zariah Brown and Jada Gay. Brown scored 12 points, while Gay poured in 15 and pulled down 7 rebounds.

Harrison Central’s one-two punch of P.J. Floyd and Saniyah Murray, which combined for 48 points in a semifinal victory over Madison Central, couldn’t solve the Yellow Jackets’ zone defense.

Starkville dominated early, racing to an 11-5 lead after the first quarter and then holding Harrison Central to just two points in the second quarter, carrying a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Harrison Central’s offense was more effective in the second half, but the Rebelettes were never able to cut into Starkville’s double-digit lead.

Floyd finished as Harrison Central leading scorer, with 11 points. Offensively, the Rebelettes finished 8-for-28 (29%) from the field, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range.