JACKSON – Midway through the second quarter, Choctaw Central guard Darien Tubby shuffled near the top of the key with the basketball. She shifted her head and eyes left before whipping a no-look pass around an Independence defender to Lachrisha Williams, who flipped the basketball into the net for a field goal.

Williams flashed a smile and jogged back up court.

The second-quarter play encapsulated a game in which Choctaw Central overwhelmed, out-hustled and out-performed Independence en route to an 89-56 victory to claim its second-consecutive MHSAA Class 3A state championship.

The win capped a 35-1 season record for the Lady Warriors, and their 89 points set a new MHSAA girls championship game record.

“It never gets old,” Choctaw Central coach Bill Smith said. “Especially for the group of seniors, I think 123-13 in four years, that’s pretty dadgum good.”

Independence held a 6-0 lead 42 seconds into the game before Choctaw Central’s Kyarrah Grant put the Lady Warriors on the scoreboard following a 3-pointer with 7:01 in the first quarter. Tubby added a layup 12 seconds later, and Grant contributed another 3-pointer to give Choctaw Central an 8-6 lead. Grant unloaded another 3-pointer with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter as part of an 11-0 run that saw the Lady Warriors lead 11-6.

Grant tallied 12 points in the first period on four 3-pointers, as Choctaw Central led 31-18 at the end of the opening quarter. The senior’s impeccable shooting from behind the arc, she said, is the result of five years’ worth of dedication to her craft. She and her twin sister, Kyannah, attempt 500 practice shots a day during the week as part of their training regimen. 

“We go before school when we have time, and then we go after school if we didn’t get our shots up during the morning,” Kyarrah Grant said. 

Kyarrah Grant finished with a game-high 20 points, and also added two assists and two steals. She went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. 

“Do what you were taught to do, and just play and have fun,” she explained. “This is our last game, so, just play. And I feel like I did.”

Choctaw Central outscored Independence 21-12 in the second quarter to lead 52-30 at halftime. 

Smith pulled his starters in the third quarter, allowing next year’s player to receive valuable minutes.

Tubby ended with 17 points, six assists and six steals, and received C SPIRE Player of the Game honors for the second year in a row. 

“This team, they never gave up,” Tubby said. “They always noticed that we had something work on, and we’d practice hard in practice, and it paid off (for us) to be back-to-back state champions.

Williams went 6-for-6 from the field to finish with 15 points. Kyannah Grant poured in 13 points, pulled in a team-high six rebounds and also had four steals. Kaedre Denson ended with 10 points, four rebounds, a block and an assist.

Choctaw Central went 35 of 66 (53 percent) from the floor and out-rebounded Independence 34-27, including 19 offensive boards. The Lady Warriors were 11 of 24 (45 percent) from 3-point range and forced 16 steals.

The Lady Warriors’ 89 points not only set a girls state championship record, but they also matched a season high. Choctaw Central’s seven seniors leave the school having amassed more than 120 wins during their four-year career. Their contributions, Smith said, won’t be forgotten.

“They’re such a good group of kids, and they work hard and they do what you ask them to do,” he said. “I don’t know – I’ve never had a bunch of seniors like this, and I never will (again), probably. It’s just a joy to be able to coach them and watch them grow. It worked out pretty well.”

Independence’s Tekeria Newson led her team with 14 points, while Davion Watt added 10 points. The Lady Wildcats ended the season 26-7.