After dominating a battle between teams tied for first in the conference, Watson Chapel took time to honor its gym’s namesake Friday night.
The Lady Wildcat basketball team blew past Star City 68-37, then honored former head coach Leslie Henderson.
Current head coach Lenell Brown said his players, most of whom played for Henderson before he took over this season, played this game with extra motivation.
“Honoring Leslie Henderson tonight, they had a chip on they shoulder,” Brown said. “Star City, we both 4-0. We wanted to put no doubt in nobody’s mind that we was the No. 1 team in the conference.”
Henderson, who retired after last season, will be inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame and the Watson Chapel Hall of Honor.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Her Lady Wildcat teams won five state championships. She also coached five state championship track and field teams.
Henderson said Watson Chapel will always feel like home, and it felt great to be invited back Friday.
“This part feels great, just because, they don’t have to do this,” Henderson said. “The hall of fame is one thing, but to have (this ceremony), I mean, we live in Kentucky. To come back, it’s just amazing.”
Watson Chapel (17-4, 5-0 in 4A-8) honored Henderson on the court by making a statement against the Lady Bulldogs. The Lady Wildcats made seven 3-pointers and forced countless turnovers with their press defense.
Alexiah Anderson, a junior, hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession to give Watson Chapel the lead, and the Lady Wildcats never relinquished it.
Star City (8-14, 4-1) trailed 16-4 after the first quarter. The Lady Bulldogs got their offense going in the second quarter but couldn’t get the stops they needed to get back into the game. Watson Chapel led 28-17 at halftime and went on to outscore Star City 21-14 in the third quarter and 19-6 in the fourth.
Brown said the Lady Wildcats came into this game looking to make a statement.
“We’re preaching the same thing every night: dominate,” Brown said. “We’re not here to play around. We’re here to dominate. Every day in practice, Sunday through Sunday. We’re here to dominate.”
Watson Chapel junior Maranda Emerson scored a game-high 18 points, while Anderson followed with 16. Star City sophomore Brenaesia Moore led the Lady Bulldogs with 16.
BOYS: Star City 57, Watson Chapel 49
The Star City boys took a commanding lead in the first quarter at Watson Chapel and held on to claim sole possession of second place.
Neither team scored until Star City (14-7, 4-1) junior Caleb Williams hit a 3-pointer with roughly 5:30 to play in the first quarter. The Bulldogs went on to lead 18-6 after finishing the quarter on a 13-2 run. Bulldog senior Darius Redix scored most of the points on that run and had 11 points entering the second.
Star City coach Reggie Turner said the Bulldogs had started slowly in their recent games but started much better Friday.
“I think the guys, they were just pumped up,” Turner said. “They were excited. They knew that coming in here, if they get a win, they’ll be sitting in sole possession of second place. They just wanted to go ahead and secure that and stay alive to try to get the No. 1 spot.”
Watson Chapel (9-12, 3-2) got going offensively after the first and scored 15 points in the second, then outscored Star City 12-9 in the third. The Bulldogs got rolling early in the fourth and led by as much as 52-35, but the Wildcats got back into it with an 8-1 run.
In the end, the lead was too much to overcome, and Watson Chapel fell into third place in 4A-8.
Redix scored a game-high 21 points, with Keeland Turner adding 15 points and Caleb Williams 14 points for the Bulldogs.
Turner said last year, Redix shot 0 of 11 in a loss to Watson Chapel in Pine Bluff but made up for it this time.
“He shot the ball really well,” Turner said. “I want to say he hit three or four 3s in our last game. He came out, and he shot the ball really well again. He was able to hit some free throws. That’s what he is for us. He’s our shooter.”
Watson Chapel senior Jabaree Smith led the Wildcats with 16 points. Joseph Dockett and Kevin Marcus added 10 apiece.
Watson Chapel senior Trinity Mitchner shoots over Star City senior Macie Lambert. (Special to the Commercial/William Harvey)
Star City sophomore Keeland Turner shoots as Watson Chapel senior Kevin Marcus defends. (Special to the Commercial/William Harvey)