Kayliss Walker leads Laurel past Pontotoc, into MHSAA 5A Championship

The sophomore had 24 points, 17 rebounds and blocked six shots

Laurel's Kayllis Walker picked the right time to play one of the best games of her career.

The sophomore forward poured in a double-double as the Lady Golden Tornadoes held off Pontotoc 53-47 in the Semifinal Round of the MHSAA Girls Class 5A Basketball playoffs at the Mississippi Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Laurel (27-3) will face Canton at 6 p.m. Friday night for the Class 5A State Championship.

“I’m so proud of my girls" Laurel coach Sherri Cooley said. "We had to make a lot of adjustments defensively because they can score so many ways. Kayllis has been our leading scorer and has been big for us all year, and she’s hard to stop and doesn’t quit.”

The first half was back-and-forth with each team trading baskets and leads.

Pontotoc held a slim 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, then there were three lead changes in the second quarter as the two teams played to a 25-25 tie.

The second half is when Walker made her presence felt. She scored 12 of Laurel’s 14 points in the third quarter as the Lady Golden Tornadoes held a slim 39-38 lead heading into the fourth.

Pontotoc took a brief 42-41 lead to start the final period, but Laurel responded with an 8-4 run to take a 49-45 lead.

Marissa Ulmer hit a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to give the Lady Golden Tornadoes a 51-45 lead and seal the win.

“These same girls were in this position last year and Callaway beat us really bad," Cooley said. "So we came back to show that we were better. These girls work hard and push each other every day to get better. On Friday, it’s going to be the same message, rebounding and defense.”

Walker finished with a game-high 24 points, 17 rebounds, and blocked six shots.

“I felt it was a crucial moment in the second half for me to step up,” she said. “We kept the momentum up even when we got down and just played and gave it our all.”

Lyla Cox had 16 points to lead Pontotoc, while Alayna Ball added 12 points for the Lady Warriors (27-3).

“We picked a bad night to not play our best,” said Pontotoc coach Kyle Heard.