Lanier Whips Defending 5A State Champ Gulfport


"NOISE TALKA"

"NOISE TALKA"

Mr. Hatedandloved
January 26, 2003
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David Purdy/The Clarion-Ledger
Lanier's Sean Johnson, No. 35, blocks a shot by Gulfport's Henry Salter in the second half of Saturday night's game at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. Lanier won 78-43.


Ellis rakes in 33 in 78-43 slaughter

Lanier topples Gulfport in war of champs
By Bill Spencer
bspencer@clarionledger.com

BILOXI ? When nationally ranked Lanier is hitting on all cylinders, Bulldogs coach Thomas Billups' team can hang with any high school squad in America.

Gulfport was the latest opponent to learn that lesson Saturday night in the ninth annual HoopsFest.

For good measure, No. 1-ranked Lanier left no doubt about Mississippi's top team in a battle of defending state champions. Dandy Dozen sophomore guard Monta Ellis scored 33 points as the Bulldogs blasted Gulfport 78-43 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum before a HoopsFest-record crowd of 3,500.

Lanier, top-ranked in The Clarion-Ledger boys basketball poll and rated 18th nationally by USA Today, improved to 23-1. The defending Class 4A state champion Bulldogs stretched their winning streak to 15 games, 35 in a row against Mississippi opponents.

Seventh-ranked Gulfport, the defending 5A state champion and preseason No. 1, fell to 20-5.

Lanier took control early in this showdown and never looked back. Ellis (17) and Callaway transfer Robert Clark (10) combined for 27 first-half points as the Bulldogs rolled to a 37-23 lead.

Lanier reached the final 35-point margin on Ellis' free throw with 1 minute, 5 seconds remaining.

Clark added 16 points, Charles Thomas had 11 and Isaac Wells contributed 10 for Lanier. Thomas, another Callaway transfer, also grabbed 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs in their best 32 minutes of the season.

"I don't think anybody in the state can beat us when we play ball," said Billups, who hopes to hoist his sixth gold ball come March at the Mississippi Coliseum.

"We can play with anybody in the country. I've been saying that all year. I know how tough we can be and how good we can be. It was just a matter of time before we put a great game together, and tonight we played that great game. Our guys were ready and we got it going."

Lanier didn't relax against the Admirals, outscoring them 20-4 in the fourth quarter. Ellis also had six rebounds, four assists ? one resulting in a thunderous dunk by Wells for a 77-43 lead with 1:40 to play ? and four steals in the Bulldogs' dominating performance.

"We wanted to make a statement that we can go anywhere and beat any team if we listen to Coach Billups," said Ellis, who averages 29.5 points per game. "We wanted to prove that we could beat the 5A state champion."

"Monta settled down and we ran the offense well tonight," Billups said.

Dandy Dozen junior forward Henry Salter ? who played with Ellis on the Magnolia Stars last summer ? paced Gulfport with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He was the only Admiral to score in double digits.

Gulfport coach Bryan Caldwell came away thoroughly impressed with Lanier.

"Lanier has as much talent on a high school team as I've seen in a long time," said Caldwell. "I thought we competed, but we were just outmanned. That's all there was to it.

"We didn't have a whole lot left in the tank. It would have taken a near-perfect effort from us to get the 'W'. Lanier's just bigger and stronger in the post. We were afraid that could happen."

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Lanier also recently beat Wingfield High School (Jackson) in their smallest margin of victory of the season. 78-66.
- The new USA TODAY Top 25 Poll should be released tommorrow.


The BULLDOGS have 2 tough games this week against 2 city rivals.

Lanier vs. Provine (Jackson) tommorrow night at the Jackson State University Athletics and Assembly Center.

Lanier vs. Callaway (Jackson) Friday night at the Jackson State University Athletics and Assembly Center.
 

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Many of the Jackson Rival games have gotten too big for the high school gyms. Lanier has the biggest gym in the city, but they make much more money if they play at JSU. The had a dayum near sell-out when they played Jim Hill here a couple of weeks ago. JPS and JSU just came up with an agreement to use the AAC for big games when there's not a conflict with a JSU activity.
 
The new USA TODAY TOP 25 poll came out this morning. Lanier remains at #18. There was pretty much no move in the polls.

1. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (13-0). Previous: 1. Beat R.J. Reynolds (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 85-56, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls) 98-46 and Buchtel (Akron) 82-71.

2. Fairfax, Los Angeles (18-1). Previous: 2. Beat Venice 82-46 and Los Angeles High 80-38.

3. McQuaid, Rochester, N.Y. (17-0). Previous: 3. Beat Rochester schools School of the Arts 86-57 and Wilson Magnet 91-69.

4. Pike, Indianapolis (14-0). Previous: 4. Beat Decatur Central (Indianapolis) 70-48.

5. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (20-2). Previous: 5. Beat Westminster 92-41.

6. Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md. (13-1). Previous: 7. Beat Barrie Day School (Silver Spring) 79-43 and TakomaCQ Academy (Takoma Park) 61-35.

7. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (20-3). Previous: 8. Beat Coastal Christian (Virginia Beach) 73-69 to win the Mountain State Coal Classic in Beckley, W.Va. Also beat Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 84-60.

8. Brookhaven, Columbus, Ohio (13-1). Previous: 9. Beat Northwestern (Miami) 69-59 at the Bright Futures Shootout in Orlando for a seventh-straight victory.

9. St. Patrick, Elizabeth, N.J. (13-3). Previous: 10. Beat the state's top-ranked prep school St. Benedict's Prep (Newark) 74-63 in the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Classic. Also beat Lincoln (Jersey City) 72-44 and McCorristin (Trenton) 82-44.

10. Bishop O'Connell, Arlington, Va. (17-2). Previous: 6. Beat Bishop McNamara (Forestville) 52-50 and Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) 66-52. Lost to Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 69-61 in three overtimes.

11. Westchester, Los Angeles (18-2). Previous: 11. Beat Hamilton (Los Angeles) 110-79 and University (Los Angeles).

12. Ozen, Beaumont, Texas (24-0). Previous: 12. Beat Nederland 85-31 and West Orange Stark (Orange) 48-26.

13. Woodlawn, Baton Rouge, La. (26-0). Previous: 14. Broadmoor (Baton Rouge) 85-68 and Tara 82-51.

14. White Station, Memphis (18-2). Previous: 15. Beat Collierville 71-52 and Kirby (Memphis) 76-48.

15. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (13-3). Previous: 16. Beat St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows) 55-49.

16. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (13-3). Previous: 13. Dropped its second straight game, losing to then-No. 25 Rice (Manhattan) 68-65.

17. Kickapoo, Springfield, Mo. (16-1). Previous: 17. Beat Ozark 72-64.

18. Lanier, Jackson, Miss. (23-1). Previous: 18. Beat Gulfport 78-43, Wingfield (Jackson) 78-66 and Durant 107-55.

19. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (10-2). Previous: 19. Beat Morris Catholic (Denville) for its fifth consecutive victory.

20. Rice, New York, N.Y. (13-5). Previous: 25. Beat league rivals then-No. 13 Christ the King (Middle Village) 68-65 and Holy Cross (Flushing) 67-56.

21. Rainier Beach, Seattle (13-3). Previous: 21. Beat Ingraham (Seattle) 91-63 and Seattle Prep 72-48.

22. Redford, Detroit (9-1). Previous: 22. Beat Cody (Detroit) 74-53.

23. Whitney Young, Chicago (19-1). Previous: 23. Beat Lincoln Park 68-61, Steinmetz 66-52, East OktibbehaCQ (Crawford, Miss.) 79-41 and Westinghouse 71-64 in overtime.

24. Garces Memorial, Bakersfield, Calif. (23-1). Previous: 24. Beat Clovis (Calif.) West and Tehachapi by the average margin of victory of 42.5 points.

25. Edgewater, Orlando (21-2). Previous: 20. Beat Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 75-72 at the Bright Futures Shootout in Orlando. Finished second in the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass., losing to Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, N.Y.) 81-70.

Dropped out: None.
 
I hope Lanier dose not have a let-down during the playoff and state run. There is not doubt that they are The Best team in Miss this year no matter what class, (5a, 4a, etc.....).

One question Noise Talka.

Dosen't Lanier have a foward that is still waiting to be cleared to play. I remember reading that he is one of the best in the state,
but I can't remember his name..........

Like they need another weapon to go to.
 
Yea, he's still not playing. I think they will have him right in time for the playoffs. Billups is trying hard to get him on the court, but the school officials are making him sit out for some reason. He's not cutting it acadimically obviously. He's still practices with the team though.
 
Thanks,

I think the problem came in when he transferred. When I read the story, they said he had the grades, something in the range of 3.1 or something. I think they are trying to figure out if he started living at the adress in the "Lanier district" in time to be playing this season. I think thats the reason they said at the begining of the year that he would be not play until February.....
just in time for the trip to New York.

I'm going to see if I can find the article in the C Ledger archives.
 
Of the three transfers, Charles Rhodes (6'8" center from Forest) was the only one ruled ineligible for the entire season. He won't be joining the Bulldogs until next season.

Actually, they don't need him in order to win the championship. (Honestly, they didn't need any of the transfers to win it). But he will come in very handy next season with the graduation of center Isaac Wells.

Look for Lanier to be even more dominant next season with 6 of their top 8 players returning (including 4 nationally ranked players). Monta will be a year older and the transfers will be ready to fit in more. (Right now, they don't even start!)
 
Okay. I thought they dropped the "zone" clause. I heard somewhere that students in Jackson could choose what school they wanted to go to now. I guess that was a proposal. There is really always a way to get around that with addresses though. People have been doing it for years. I don't think they should keep the guy from playing. I know Billups said he'll be on the court soon though.
 
4real. Dayum, i can give up gettin a ticket. lol. Lady at the ticket office told me it was at JSU and the tickets would be in this morning. smh.
 
Originally posted by "NOISE TALKA"
Lady at the ticket office told me it was at JSU and the tickets would be in this morning. smh.
Click to expand...


Really? The lady at Lanier said it's at Lanier.

I'm gonna call Provine and the C-L.

:retard:
 
Lanier - 82
Provine - 78
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Lanier got a test last night. It's always tough in rival games. They had much more to lose than Provine. Provine opened up a 12-0 lead to start the game, but Billups got the boyz together and they remain perfect in their gym.

Lanier has NEVER lost a game in their gymnasium.
Now that's a stat. lol.
Att: 1,400
 
That game actually wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Lanier led by 10 or 12 with about 90 seconds to go. Matter of fact, all the fans had started clearing out of the gym. Lanier was in the bonus and Provine started fouling. Lanier missed several front ends of the 1 and 1, and Provine threw in three desperation 3's (including one at the buzzer) to make the score look closer than the actual game.

Provine put up a valiant effort though. They're a good, deep squad but Lanier was just too much.

Monta Ellis had a subpar game (13 points). Provine had a bounty out on him from the opening tip! But Lanier just has way too many weapons to focus on just one.
 

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