The Hornets started out strong in their opening district game against Columbia, but couldn’t structure a comeback after multiple unforced errors in the second half.

“It’s important for us to develop an early rhythm in these district games, but our flaw is how we handle adversity,” Poplarville Head Coach Chareck Cable said.

Early in the first half, the Hornets trailed to the Wildcats 8-5. At the time, Cable said the team was driven to take the lead, but Columbia broke out in transition multiple times, dulling the Hornets’ offensive efforts.

The Wildcats found openings in Poplarville’s zone defense, which, combined with excessive fouls, led to the Hornet’s collapse.

“We are disappointed, but I told my players that this is not a sprint. We still got nine more games to play and work on getting better,” Cable said.

Tamilijah Merrill, who leads the Hornets this season with 25 points per game, scored 11 points against the Wildcats. Senior forward Tyler Griffin finished the game with a game-high 14 points for Poplarville.

After halftime, with a score of 30-20 in Columbia’s favor, Poplarville’s first three possessions resulted in two turnovers and a missed open layup, Cable said, which put a damper on the Hornets for the remainder of the game.

Poplarville girl’s hang on to win 56-53 against Columbia

Zanaisha Turner led the Hornets with 19 points, which secured another win at Columbia. Mallory Smith and Tatiana Buckley each had 11 points and Jasmine Merrill finished with nine points, Poplarville girl’s Head Coach Dee Robinson said.

Columbia’s Jaleel Hartfield led the Wildcats with 22 points Tuesday night.