Booneville boys basketball coach Michael Smith wins his second MHSAA title of the day
For the first time since 2011, Booneville boys basketball are state champions. The Blue Devils bested Southeast Lauderdale with a 47-35 win on Saturday at Mississippi Coliseum in the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game.
It was the second state championship of the day for coach Michael Smith, who led the Booneville girls to a title minutes before the boys game started.
"It's been a blessing, really," Smith said of coaching both teams. "Everything that you would think is an inconvenience, has just been great to be a part of ... I've just got the best coaching staff and the do so many things over the course of a game that I might get credit for. It's just been a lot of fun."
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Josh Dukes, a senior guard, was named player of the game. He had a game-high 15-points, along with six rebounds. Kedrick Simmons added a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Columbus Walker was the top scorer for Southeast Lauderdale with 11.
Booneville (28-5) began the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead, which Southeast Lauderdale (18-12) quickly trimmed to five with a pair of fast break layups.
But that was the closest Southeast Lauderdale would get to closing the gap. A 3-pointer and a putback layup off of a missed free throw pushed the lead to double digits with five minutes remaining.
Booneville kept playing hard though the final minute, diving for loose balls and getting to the free-throw line consistently.
"It's just a testament to our kids. They've been unbelievable all year," said Smith.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MHSAA basketball: Booneville coach Michael Smith wins 2 titles in a day
