This is the one that everyone has been waiting for. The Brookhaven High Lady Panthers (27-1) host the undefeated West Jones Lady Mustangs (26-0) tonight in Sinclair Gymnasium in a MHSAA 5A third round playoff matchup. The winner will next play in the Mississippi Coliseum in the state semifinals against the winner of Neshoba Central versus Germantown.

The Lady Mustangs are coached by Sharon Murray and are coming off a season in which they finished 26-4 last year and lost 48-47 to Hattiesburg in the 5A state title game.

The closest WJ has come to defeat this season was a pair of close wins over their region rivals, South Jones. On Jan. 4 the Lady Stangs beat SJ 60-56 and on Jan. 25 they beat the Lady Braves 54-50. Brookhaven and coach Preston Wilson played South Jones on Feb. 1 and beat the visitors from Ellisville 53-48 in Sinclair Gymnasium.

West Jones beat Picayune 49-16 in the second round of the playoffs on Friday.

On Friday the Lady Panthers whipped West Harrison 73-46 in their second-round matchup. BHS led 44-9 at halftime.

Junior forward Silentianna Collins scored 26 points to lead the BHS offense against West Harrison. Senior forward Tamia Stallings added 16 points and junior guard Ayanna McNairy scored eight points. Sophomore point guard Ashanti Louis added five points and senior guard Keyana Benjamin scored five as well. Senior forward Cynphoni Thompson added four points for BHS. Yacoriuna Braxton, Jayla Henry, Sharquita Cook, and Dymonde Washington all scored two points apiece. Freshman Denaejah Williams rounded out the Lady Panther scoring with one point.

The Lady Mustangs are paced by the duo of junior Brikayla Gray and senior Jurnee McLaurin.

West Jones is averaging a 25-point margin of victory for the season. The lone loss for Brookhaven came in a 58-54 loss to 6A Meridian (22-4) on Dec. 8.

Tipoff for West Jones at Brookhaven High is 7 p.m.