MONTICELLO-Columbia High School captured both the boys’ andgirls’ championships at the Division 7-4A basketball tournamentfinals, played Friday night. The Columbia girls improved to 27-2 bybeating the host Lawrence County Lady Cougars 70-63.

Later, the Columbia boys pulled out a dramatic 57-52 overtime winagainst Crystal Springs. Both Columbia teams are coached by TonyWoody.

In consolation games, the Port Gibson girls defeated North Pike56-51, and the Port Gibson boys hammered the LCHS Cougars 67-31.All eight teams will advance to this week’s South Mississippi 4Aplayoffs.

Columbia 57, C. Springs 52

The best and most dramatic game of the night was the boys’ final.Crystal Springs, playing without injured guard Roman Lofton, theDivision 7-4A MVP, led Columbia 50-46 with just 4 seconds to play.Columbia’s Dominique Tovell hit the first of 2 free throws, to cutthe margin to 50-47. Tovell missed the second attempt, but teammateJaboris Luter grabbed the rebound, stepped behind the 3-point line,and buried a game-tying jumper as the horn sounded.

Don Newton led Columbia with 20 points, and Tovell had 11.

Christopher Lawrence led Crystal Springs with 21 points, andJerekius Davis had 14.

Columbia 70, Lawrence 63

The girls’ championship pitted co-league MVPs Tiaria Griffin ofLawrence County and Nettie Lewis of Columbia against one anotherfor the third time this season. The two teams split theirregular-season match-ups, but Columbia won the rubber match, racingto a 37-25 halftime lead, then holding on in the second half.

Lewis led Columbia with 15 points. Zana Bridges added 14, andRadejah Woodson had 13. Columbia’s Kalyn McNabb scored 12,repeatedly hitting long 3-pointers that thwarted the Lady Cougars’attempts at comebacks.

Tiaria Griffin carried the load for Lawrence County, scoring 29 ofthe Lady Cougars’ 63 points. Tyra Griffin and Alli Harris each had11.

Port Gibson 56, North Pike 51

In girls’ consolation play, Port Gibson got 21 points each fromKentija Tarleton and Andreshae Spiller, to edge North Pike. TheLady Jaguars were led by Kaylan Hughes, who scored 22, and PreciousJefferson, who had 15 points.

Port Gibson 67, Lawrence 31

Port Gibson’s boys entered the tournament as the number one seed,but were pushed into the consolation game by an upset loss toColumbia in the semifinals. The Blue Wave Fighting Sharks took outtheir frustrations on host Lawrence County, putting a 36-pointbeat-down on the Cougars.

Johnny Washington led Port Gibson with 16 points. Fourteendifferent Port Gibson players scored in the game, as Blue Wavecoach Kim Windom was able to substitute liberally. David Haynes ledLawrence County with 11.