For the second straight year, Mississippi's prep all-stars reigned supreme in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic.
The visitors from Mississippi won the girls game 73-60 and the boys beat Alabama 95-74 in the 21st annual all-star clash that pits each state's prep top seniors.
Daniel Grieves, a 6-foot-6 Air Force Academy signee, had 21 points with 13 coming in a four-minute second-half flourish that propelled the visitors from a five-point deficit to the lead for good. The left-handed guard made five of his first six 3-point tries to earn Mississippi MVP honors at the doubleheader played at Pelham Civic Complex.
Ricky Tarrant of Pleasant Grove, a 6-foot Tulane recruit, was a magician at the point to pace Alabama, which now trails Mississippi 11-10 in the 21-year series. Tarrant had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. Selma's
Charles Eaton was Alabama's leading scorer with 16 points.
The Mississippi girls beat Alabama 73-60. Alabama, which leads the girls' series 11-10, trailed by just two points in the fourth quarter before Mississippi closed the game with a 13-2 run. Central-Phenix City's
Monique Jackson, a 6-foot Ole Miss signee, had a strong game inside with 17 points and 12 rebounds to earn Alabama's MVP honors.
FALERU WINS DOTHAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD Ole Miss recruit Tia Faleru of Carroll-Ozark was named the Dothan Eagle Player of the Year for the third straight year after leading the Eagles to a 27-4 record and a spot in the South Regional Class 5A girls basketball tournament. The 6-2 center averaged 20.4 points and 12 rebounds while blocking 43 shots on the year. Most impressive was her state-leading 90 percent free-throw shooting percentage (124 of 138), the best since
Lindsay Boyett of Sulligent set the state record with 188 of 205 for a 91.7 percentage in the 1999-2000 season. Boyett was also 214 of 236 in the 1997-98 season for a .907 rate.
Boyett went on to become the all-time leading scorer in Birmingham-Southern College women's basketball history with 1,603 points, the all-time assists leader with 270, and the all-time 3-point leader with 228. She made 64 consecutive free throws, just two shy of the NCAA record, and was a career 89 percent free-throw shooter. She was named Independent Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Year in both 2002 and 2003. Boyett now works as a pharmacist in Trussville, Ala. As an eighth grader at Sulligent, she sank two free throws in the state finals with only a few seconds remaining to give her team a 52-50 win over Dadeville to seal the Class 3A state championship.
HEDGEPETH, JOHNSON SHINE FOR BELMONT
Former Crossville High School center Mick Hedgepeth turned in a champion's performance with 17 points as Belmont University of Nashville, the Atlantic Sun champs, fell to Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The 6-8 Hedgepeth, a junior, proved to be one of the first round's top big men with his 17-point performance. He started all 35 games for the Bruins (30-5) this season. Kerron Johnson, Belmont's first man off the bench, had 13 in the loss to the Badgers. Johnson, named Alabama's 2009 Mr. Basketball out of Madison Academy in Huntsville, averaged 7.9 ppg as a sophomore for Belmont. Hedgepeth averaged 10.8 ppg while clearing six rebounds per contest.