MONTICELLO-Lawrence County swept Columbia in a Division 7-4A basketball double-header, at Lawrence County High School. In girls’ action, Vicki Rutland’s Lady Cougars went on a 23-5 run to end the game to beat Columbia, 51-27. In the boys’ game, Pat Bridges’ Cougars were in control from the beginning, winning 67-35.

The girls’ game was tight until midway through the third quarter. With 4:39 left in the period, Columbia’s Keera Oatis scored to knot the game at 22-22. Lawrence County immediately went on an 11-0 run, and totally dominated the remainder of the game.

“We defended really well,” said Rutland. “Our defense is what kept us in the game while we were struggling on offense. We did a great job of defending their big post player (Oatis), and we finally got it going offensively.”

DeNeisha Dickson had a “double-double” with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Haven Johnson added 9 points, while Jada McDuffey and Camryn Davis each scored 9. Davis pulled down 9 rebounds. Zipporah Baylis had 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Kametrius Leggett had a strong game with 6 points and 4 steals.

K’Ja Weary scored 16 of Columbia’s 27 points. The game was the first division contest for Yamah Jones’ Lady Wildcats.

The Lawrence County girls improved to 10-7 overall, and 2-0 in Division 7-4a play.

In the boys’ game, Lawrence County had its way, almost from the beginning. The Cougars led 14-6 after one quarter, and 28-11 at the half. Columbia never really threatened the LCHS lead.

Keyshawn Feazell led the Cougars with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Gabriel Lewis added 12 points and 4 assists. Keith Davis and Phillip Moore each had 9 points, with Davis contributing 12 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 assists.

“We had a good night,” Coach Bridges said. “We played a good first half, then got a little loose defensively in the third quarter, when we had a sizeable lead. All in all, it was a decent night. We’re happy to be 2-0.”

With the win, Bridges’ team improved to 11-6 overall, and 2-0 in the division. Columbia, coached by Charlie James, fell to 0-1 in division play.

Columbia was led by Jalin Newsom, who scored 9 points. Lonnie Bass, Eric Thompson, and Freddrick Peters tallied 6 points each.

On Friday, Lawrence County will continue Division 7-4A play at McComb, where the Cougar boys will face the reigning 4A state champions. The McComb boys are undefeated and ranked number one in 4A this season.