Both Meridian and Starkville played an aggressive brand of basketball when the two squared off Friday night at Meridian.

The Wildcats came away with the 58-57 win thanks in part to a strong performance by Tamarion Jones, who had a team-high 17 points.

“Tamarion Jones is the silent assassin; he is quiet and just a workhorse,” Wildcats head coach Ron Norman said. “He is growing into being our go-to guy, and what he did to the naked eye didn’t look sexy, but I’m sure he had a double-double.”

The game got off to a slow start, with Meridian up 21-14 heading into the half, but the game’s momentum would quickly pick up. Starkville forward Makhi Myles didn’t make things easy for the Wildcats with his amazing shot-blocking, but Jones wasn’t intimidated as he went at Myles every chance he could. Norman even praised Jones for his willingness to take on the Mississippi State signee.

Meridian made some strong plays down the stretch to get the edge over Starkville. Captain Demarcus Powe dropped 12 points, while Jordan Jones added 10 points and Brandarius Boler chipped in with 7 points. 

“Every win is beautiful to me because, at the end of the day, I teach our kids stats are for losers,” Norman said. “No matter how many free throws missed or how many turnovers we made, we made enough plays to win, and at the end of the day, the score says 58-57 Wildcats.”

Myles led Starkville with 19 points, and Connor Rogers added 17 points.

MERIDIAN GIRLS 75, STARKVILLE 39

Meridian got several upgrades to its gymnasium earlier this year, and the Lady Wildcats opened things up on the new and improved floor with a dominant win against Starkville Friday.

Tytiana Buckley and Jamesha Jones kicked the game off with back-to-back 3s for Meridian, setting the tone for the rest of the night. The pair were clicking on all cylinders by taking smart shots and helping run the offense. Defensively, the Lady Wildcats didn’t hold back any punches — whenever the ball crossed half court, Starkville was swarmed with white jerseys looking to force another turnover. 

“It’s still early in the (season),” Lady Wildcats head coach Deneshia Faulkner said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but I love our energy, and it’s only up from here.”

Debreasha Powe led Meridian with 33 points and four blocks, and she provided an excellent defensive presence while putting on a clinic beyond the arch by knocking down five 3s. Charity Hinton dropped 10 points and forced numerous steals with her hard-nosed defense. Tytiana Buckley and Jamesha Jones also chipped in with nine points each.

Meridian (1-0) will travel to Hattiesburg Tuesday.