The Starkville Academy Volunteers pushed their score all the way to 55 on Thursday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 63-55 to Lamar. Starkville Academy was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Lamar apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in November of 2022.
Despite the defeat, Starkville Academy saw an underclassman step up: Raylee Jones dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds. Jones scored a full 25.5% of Starkville Academy's points, the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Leading Lamar to victory were Aryah Grace and Blake Hart. Grace scored 22 points along with seven steals and six rebounds, while Hart dropped a double-double on 22 points and 13 rebounds. The game was Hart's ninth in a row with at least ten points. Sarah Dudley Reed was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with seven rebounds and four blocks.
Starkville Academy's loss dropped their record down to 8-4. As for Lamar, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Starkville Academy will take on Hartfield Academy at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Lamar, they will be playing at home against Brookhaven Academy at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Brookhaven Academy presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Lamar in Mississippi (Brookhaven Academy is ranked 24th, while Lamar is ranked 88th).
