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By CHUCK HATHCOCK
Sports Editor
For the last month, the Grenada Chargers have struggled to get wins. In fact, the problems have been in all facets of the game.
This past Friday, GHS faced Tupelo in an important Region 2-6A contest at home. The Chargers, who came into the game having lost eight of nine games, needed a win to keep pace with Columbus in the race for the regular season title.
Second-year coach Jaworski Rankin was searching for a way to jump start his team. He made some lineup changes against the Golden Wave, and the move paid off.
Grenada managed a 54-46 win getting a game-high 24 points off the bench from junior Tyrin Jones to seal the win.
In the opening game, the Lady Chargers were plagued by turnovers losing a 60-32 decision.
“It’s a big win for our guys,” Rankin said. “We needed something good to happen for us to get things going again. It was a total team effort.”
Grenada, 8-9, 2-1, jumped to a 13-7 lead at the end of the opening period. Junior LaCurtis Allen scored the final five points of the quarter.
Tupelo opened the second period with a 10-1 run to lead 17-14 with three minutes left in the half. The Chargers responded with a 10-4 to lead 24-21 at halftime.
Second half
Antonio Green had a three-pointer and Brice Ford added a bucket to give the Golden Wave a 26-24 lead early in the third period.
The game was tied two times in the quarter. Baskets from Jones and Allen gave GHS a 33-29 lead with 2:36 left in the period. Grenada led 34-32 heading to the final eight minutes.
Jones opened the final period with two free throws, and Tyler Dorris scored making it 38-32 with 7:05 left in the game. Trey Bledsoe had a three-point play to increase the lead to 41-34. Jones followed with a bucket increasing the lead to nine points with 5:24 left.
Tupelo got as close as four points at 48-44 with 1:10 left in the game. The Chargers got the lead into double digits following two Jones free throws with nine seconds left.
Bledsoe chipped in 12 points, and Allen added 10 points. Dorris scored four, and Trey Spencer finished with two.
Girls
The Lady Chargers trailed Tupelo 17-15 midway through the second period. That’s when the Lady Wave took advantage of mistakes to run the lead to double digits by intermission. They never looked back after that.
Emily Bush led Grenada with nine points. Heaven Lott, Camera Howard, and Sharnae Lewis all scored six. Nakemenya Williams had five, and Rodneshia Leigh scored two.
Grenada returns to action tonight traveling to Starkville. Friday, the teams host Brandon, and Saturday Coffeeville comes to town for a pair of games.
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