By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — The West Harrison girls basketball team has gotten off to one of the best early season starts in the “Southern Six” so far.
And it was more of the same for the Lady ‘Canes on Saturday.
West Harrison, under the direction of fourth year head coach Patty Norwood, moved to an impressive 8-1 on the new young campaign with a 61-36 thumping of Class 7A foe Petal in the annual St. Patrick “Luck of the Irish Holiday Tournament”. The Lady ‘Canes have won seven straight games after starting the season off at 1-1.

“This team works well as a unit and we are trying to get better each game,” Norwood said Sunday afternoon. “We have gotten off to a good start record-wise but have a long way to go and a lot to learn. We know it’s how you finish not start.”
In the latest win, West Harrison jumped out to a quick 22-8 lead after the opening period and never looked back in cruising to the win. Michelle Jackson, a transfer for Harrison Central, and Sydnei Barber, one of the top returning starters for WHHS, each dropped in three field goals apiece to evenly split 12 points in the first frame to set the tone quickly in the winning effort.
Barber finished with a game-high 22 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, for the Lady ‘Canes while Jaylen Applewhite added 11 points and Jackson chipped in 10 points to the winning cause giving WHHS three players in double digits.

“It was a good win, they beat us last year at their place, so I was pleased that we came out ready to play and focused.” Norwood added
The win Saturday capped off a perfect week of play for Norwood’s crew, one that included wins also over Columbia and D’Iberville.
Against Columbia, a dominating 68-41 home performance on Thursday, the Lady ‘Canes again had a trio of players in double digits as Barber tallied a game-high 21 points including 14 in a scintillating first quarter that was part of a 25-point explosion in that opening period to begin the game and put West Harrison comfortably ahead to stay.
Jackson chipped in 12 points to the winning effort, while Jazlee Deschamp added 10 points and Applewhite had eight points.

Two days prior to that contest, on Tuesday also at home, WHHS stuffed D’Iberville 44-26.
Barber also led the way in that one with 25 points, including a pair of treys, while Jackson and Applewhite added eight points apiece.
When combined with that decision, as well as a 49-34 road win over Gulfport on Nov. 14th and the win over Petal Saturday, that gives Class 6A West Harrison a trio of wins over Class 7A competition in the past 10 days.

Both WHHS squads head to Lewisburg on Monday to compete in the inaugural “Turkey Tip-Off Tournament” Monday and Tuesday.