Jessika Carter shines as Harris County tops Thomas County Central

It was only right that Jessika Carter showed out in Harris County’s Senior Night game against Thomas County Central on Friday.

The 12th-grade Carter would not be denied against the Yellow Jackets, scoring 31 points and posting 9 rebounds in Harris County’s 80-35 victory. Carter explained it was an important night for her, considering her time as a Lady Tiger is drawing to a close.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for like my whole high school career,” Carter said. “I wanted to cry because it seems like I’ve been here for a long time. Now it’s my time to leave.”

Although the game’s final score showed a walk in the park for Harris County, that wasn’t the case in the opening quarter. Thomas County Central hung with the Lady Tigers thanks in part to their constant pressure on defense, which Harris County initially struggled with.

The game was Harris County’s third in a long week, and it looked early on it seemed the wear of the last few days was evident. However, the Lady Tigers turned the heat up to end the opening quarter before outscoring Thomas County Central 28-12 in the second quarter to take a 21-point halftime lead.

“We finally got back to Harris County basketball,” Harris County head coach Steffanie Ramsey said. “This was our third game this week, and our legs kind of left us a little bit. Once we got rolling, it was downhill from there.”

Carter had a lot of say in the big victory, but she wasn’t alone in putting the game away. Sister Ny’Azjha Carter proved her older sister didn’t get all the basketball skills, as she scored 15 points and also recorded two steals. Senior Kenequa Ligon hit her fair share of big shots, including three 3-pointers on her way to an 11-point night.

The scoring efforts of the Lady Tigers was certainly a pleasant sight for Ramsey.

“We’ve actually been in a shooting slump, and I felt like we shot the ball well tonight,” Ramsey said. “Hopefully, that will continue on for the rest of region play.”

Jessika Carter’s latest game was just another example of her dominance in her senior season. The Mississippi State signee has been nearly unstoppable as Harris County has rolled through the competition to the tune of a 16-2 record.

In Ramsey’s mind, it all starts when Carter first arrives to the court.

“When we walk in the gym, she automatically sends an intimidating message,” Ramsey said. “To have that size, and everyone knows where she’s going, it sends a big-time message to everybody.”

This story was originally published January 12, 2018 at 10:25 PM with the headline "Jessika Carter shines as Harris County tops Thomas County Central."