Newton’s Myja McNichols breaks away from Puckett defenders as the final seconds click away during the MHSAA Class 2A semifinals at the Mississippi Coliseum.

JACKSON — Nia McCalphia had a lot riding on her foul shots in the final minute.

After Newton took a 36-28 lead into the fourth quarter and jumped ahead 42-30 with 4:16 remaining in regulation, Puckett went on a 9-1 run to cut the Lady Tigers’ lead to 43-39 with 2:10 to go. During the final minute of play, McCalphia went to the line for Newton three times, needing each foul shot to fall to keep the Lady Wolves at bay.

Like her team, McCalphia never got flustered, as she hit 5 of 6 free throws in that final minute to help her team to a 51-43 win Tuesday in the MHSAA Class 2A state semifinals at the Mississippi Coliseum.

“It was hard, but it’s something you have to do, something you have to learn,” McCalphia said. “I learned (to do) that through adversity.”

The win gave Newton (28-2) a berth in the 2A state championship game against West Lincoln (26-5) at 1 p.m. Friday at the Big House. The Lady Tigers never trailed throughout the contest, and Newton girls basketball coach Perry Fletcher said his girls stepped up to the challenge against a tough opponent.

“The kids played really hard, and they were determined,” Fletcher said. “We worked all season for this game on Friday, so this game right here, we knew it was a stepping stone, and that was our motivation.”

The first quarter was a microcosm of the entire game, as the Lady Tigers jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, but Puckett did just enough to stay within striking distance. A pair of 3-pointers by the Lady Wolves’ Macey Tullos helped get Puckett going in the first quarter, and Newton’s lead was only 10-6 going into the second frame.

Puckett tied the game 14-14 with 5:50 to go in the second quarter thanks to a 3-pointer by Camille Crain and a 3-point play by Rose Warren, but Newton outscored the Lady Wolves 9-5 to take a 23-19 lead into the break.

A trey by the Lady Tigers’ McKinley Ware and four points by Ja’Leah Hickman, as well as a 3-point play by McCalphia, helped Newton build up an eight-point advantage going into the final period. McCalphia scored six of her 17 points — all on free throws — in the fourth quarter.

Fletcher said he stressed defense in the huddle whenever Puckett would go on a run, and defense ultimately led his team to victory Tuesday.

“I just told the girls, ‘Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships,’” Fletcher explained. “I challenged them to look inside of them, get in the gut, trust God with your athleticism and do the best you can do, because the only way we were going to win was by getting some defensive stops.”

It was more than just defense, though. Neither Fletcher nor his players showed any sign of panicking, even when Puckett would cut it close, and Fletcher credited their composure to the experience they gained in the preseason against teams that made or are still in the midst of postseason runs.

“They’ve been resilient all year,” Fletcher said. “We had a tough preseason schedule, where we played some of the best teams in the state (like) Forest, Meridian, Southeast (Lauderdale)… we played a lot of tough teams (like) Choctaw Central, so our girls were used to it. It’s a credit to those girls. Nia McCalphia, Myja (McNichols), McKinley Ware, those seniors, they’re just some tough kids, and they knew what it meant to keep that lead, and they don’t want to play from behind.”

McNichols scored 14 points for Newton, while Ware finished with eight and Hickman scored seven.

DIFFERENT LOOK 

Unlike most high school gyms, where walls and bleachers are close to the court, the Big House is more spread out, and the area surrounding the court is much more spacious. It’s a different look than what teams are used to seeing, which is why Fletcher had to get creative with his practices after winning in the quarterfinal round last week.

But the different look didn’t seem to affect Newton, as the Lady Tigers got out to a quick start and never went on a scoring drought for too long.

“We were able to settle in quickly,” McCalphia said. “We went to Jackson State to get used to it.”

Fletcher said he wanted to leave no stone unturned heading into Tuesday’s game.

“We got an opportunity to have two practices, one at Jackson State, and then Neshoba Central let us come to their gym,” Fletcher said. “It’s a different perception when you’re playing in a gym where the walls are right there and everything closed in, so just to get a chance to give our kids a feel for this atmosphere, it made all the difference, especially for our shooter McKinley Ware.”

TITLE GAME

Now that the Lady Tigers are in the 2A championship game, Perry said his girls take pride in repressing the school and city of Newton on such a big stage.

“All the glory goes to God,” Perry said. “Newton has a history of championship basketball, and these girls are just proud to be able to continue the legacy that Coach (Crandal) Porter, Coach (Marcus) Luckett and Coach (Dorie Thigpen) have left for us. It means everything to these girls to be back for their city, their family and, most importantly, we’re doing everything for the glory of God.”

As one of the team’s five seniors, McCalphia said she understands the significance of what Friday’s game means not just for them, but for the school.

“It would mean everything to me,” McCalphia said. “That’s a dream, something I want to come true, so it would mean a lot.”