Hawthorne Girls Hoops Back In State Semifinals

The Hawthorne Hornets took down Madison County Monday night to move on to the state semifinals in girl’s basketball.

Head coach, Cornelius Ingram, spoke with Steve Russell and discussed how the Hornets were able to defeat the Cowboys.

Momentum for the Hornets

Hawthorne have been incredible this season. Since the clock struck midnight for 2023, Hawthorne is yet to lose this year. After winning 17 straight, they find themselves back in the state semifinals with a team that was able to win the state championship just one year ago.

On the court, this team has been great. Off the court, however, is what shows the camaraderie this team has.

.@HawthorneHoops girls basketball punches their ticket to the Class 1A state tournament for the second straight year. Hornets put on a show in the second half to pull away from Madison County, 55-42.

We have highlights and interviews tonight at 11 on @WCJB20

— Jake Rongholt WCJB (@BothSidesSports) February 20, 2024

Upcoming Matchup

Hawthorne plays Wildwood in the state semifinals. Head coach Ingram had high praise for the Wildcats.

This is a matchup between two high powered offenses on two unbelievable winning streaks.

Starting with Hawthorne, junior guard De’Mya Adams is the team leader in points per game, steals per game, and 3-point percentage. In their game against Madison County, she had 20 points in their 55-42 win. The Hornets are going to need another performance like that from her as they are playing a Wildcats team which is averaging over 60 points per game.

That being said, with Ranicia Coleman, Lakijah Brown, and Jhalea Jackson all averaging over eight points per game, this Hornets team is entering this game with a lot of fire power.

The Wildcats come into this game with Trinidy Harris leading the way at 16.9 points per game. Harris has been a very consistent scorer all season and plays a big role in why they have been impressive offensively.

Then there’s star guard, Zoey Brown, who leads the team in assists and steals per game. Having said that, she also had 16 points in their win over Trenton which sent them to the state semifinals. Senior forward, Essiance Jasper, is one of three players on this team to average more than nine points per game. The other two are Harris and Brown. Jasper is also the rebound and 3-point percentage leader for this Wildcats team.

Both teams have great defenses as the Hornets allow just over 34 points per game, while the Wildcats are allowing a little over 33 points per game.

The last time these teams played was in last year’s state championship. In that game, Hawthorne narrowly beat Wildwood, 42-38, to take home the title. This outing between two teams who are used to the playoff environment tips off March 1 at 3 p.m.