Terah Winborne smiles sweetly and speaks  softly when she talks about her basketball career at Brookhaven Academy. On the flip side, Winborne terrorizes opposing players with her basketball skills. Coaches work overtime devising  defensive schemes to slow her down.

     Winborne’s accomplishments on the court this season have earned her a repeat honor as Most Valuable Player and Miss Basketball on The DAILY LEADER’s 2012 All-Lincoln County Girls Basketball Team. She averaged 21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 steals and 4 assists per game, leading the Lady Cougars to a 32-8 record and a third place finish in the MAIS Class AA State Tournament.

     Joining Winborne on the DL’s Dream Team are Laura Beth Wright of Brookhaven Academy, Tyrisha Patterson of Loyd Star, Adrienne Wallace of Bogue Chitto and Caroleah Brister of Enterprise.

     “I’m very honored to have received this award again,” said Winborne. “There’s a lot of good players in Lincoln County. I know I  couldn’t’ have done it without my teammates.”

     Winborne, a 5-foot-5, 110-pound playmaker, directed the Lady Cougars to the MAIS Overall Tournament championship a year ago. She and Wright were the only returning starters from that history-making team.

     “We were pleased with the season,” said Winborne. “We knew we had to be leaders and play our best.”

     Playing her best has been a high standard for Winborne since  she began her basketball career. She also excels in softball, tennis and track.

     Ginger Duease recalled her first meeting with Winborne. “When I first saw Terah, she looked kind of little. But she’s really strong and very quick. She’s a package of dynamite. She led us in rebounding.

     “Terah has ice water in her veins,” Duease pointed out. “When its crunch time, she turns it up. She loves the game.”

     Winborne’s skills were evident in last weekend’s MAIS Class AA-AAA All-Star Girls Game which was played at Jackson Prep. She was named the South MVP.

     An honor roll student, Winborne plans to attend Mississippi State University and major in chemistry. Her long-range goal is a career in dentistry.

     Laura Beth Wright, a 5-foot-8 guard/forward, averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists per game this season. She also played the post position in some games.

     “Laura Beth is strong and athletic,” said Duease. “She was a very steady player for us.”

     Tyrisha Patterson, a 5-10 senior center, was a tower of power for Loyd Star’s Lady Hornets. She averaged 22.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game as her team finished 19-12 and advanced to the 5A state playoffs.

     “Tyrisha is so strong inside,” said Loyd Star coach Billy Vaughn. “She put the team on her shoulders this year. She was a leader on and off the court. The girls really looked up to her.”

     Adrienne Wallace, a 5-4 junior guard,  averaged 11.5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists per game as the Lady Cats made a return to the Class 1A State Tournament in a major rebuilding year. They finished 20-14.

     Bogue Chitto coach Christi Wallace said Wallace was instrumental in her young team’s success. “Adrienne held our team together. She’s real good at helping her teammates.

     “When it was pressure time, Adrienne had to have the ball in her hands. She hustles and she’s very coachable.”

     Tiakara Kelly, a 5-6 senior, averaged 17.2 points and 2.1 assists per game. She accounted for 33 steals as the Lady Panthers finished 14-13.

     “Tiakara is a good shooter,” said Ole Brook girls coach Freda Craft. “She’s very coachable and she works hard.”

     Caroleah Brister, a 5-8 junior guard, averaged 12 points and 5.9 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.1 assists per game for the Enterprise Lady Yellow Jackets. They finished 11-17 overall and 3-7 in Region 7-2A.

     “Caroleah picked it up on both ends of the floor and did a very good job for us defensively,” said Enterprise coach Jill Nations. “She sees the floor very well.”