By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — It proved to be a big weekend for the Hancock girl’s basketball team.

On Friday night, the Lady Hawks took over the top spot in Region 4-6A with a 48-32 win over West Harrison.

Then, about 24 hours later, Hancock gained a measure of revenge from one of their rare losses over the past couple of years as it thumped defending Class 6A state champion Neshoba Central 57-35 in the final game of the day at the “Lady Indian Super Saturday Showdown” in Biloxi.

“I am very proud of our team and how we played this weekend,” Hancock head coach Jamie Sisco said Sunday. “I felt like we kind of hit a wall during December and didn’t play our best, but we came back after New Years and really challenged them in practice and they responded.”

At the Biloxi Sports Arena on Saturday, Hancock’s big win was a re-match of the Class 6A overall semifinal match-up from the Big House in Jackson last year when Neshoba Central knocked off the Lady Hawks 48-30 in the Final Four at The Mississippi Coliseum in a match-up of two 30-1 squads.

Hancock senior standout point guard Talana Bond hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter and both Anslee James and Caitlyn Ladner had four points apiece as HHS took a 14-10 lead entering the second period.

James was right back at it in that next quarter, as she added six more points while Cambria Necaise had four points and Abigail Carver dropped in a trey as Hancock steadily stretched its advantage and went into halftime up with by double digits at 29-18.

It was more of the “James Show” in the third frame, as she tallied seven more points including a 3-pointer of her own and Bond bombed a trey as well and Hancock sailed into the final frame up 45-29 and cruised on to the big win.

The senior swing standout James led the Lady Hawks with a game-high 22 points in her first action against Neshoba Central, after she missed the second half of the season last year with a knee injury. She was also five-for-five on free throws in the fourth frame Saturday.

Bond and Carver each added 10 points apiece to the winning effort for HHS.

Jiar Henry had 10 points for the Lady Rockets.

Hancock stands at 19-2 overall, and will be in search of its 20th win for the third straight season at home against George County in Region 4-6A play.

The Lady Hawks will go into that contest at a perfect 5-0 in league play as well, after completing the first half of their round-robin region play Friday night with that 48-32 win over West Harrison.

Hancock led the Lady ‘Canes just 19-15 at halftime in the battle of then unbeatens in the region race, but quickly took command in the third period by out-scoring the home team 16-4 to pull into the final period up in total control at 35-19.

Bond drained a trio of 3-pointers in the win and paced HHS with 13 points. Lila Turner also nailed three treys and finished with those nine points, while both James and Riley Bishop each chipped in eight points apiece to the winning effort.

Jaylenn Applewhite led WHHS with 10 points. The Lady Hawks held Lady ‘Canes junior standout Sydnei Barber to just six points in the game, after she was coming off of a career-high 44-point performance in a win over Pascagoula Tuesday night.

“Offensively, we had multiple players step up in key situations for us and score the ball which was awesome to see,” Sisco added. “It’s always hard on the opponent when they can’t focus on one or two players and have to really guard all five. As we head down the stretch it will Be important for us to really focus on valuing every possession and being the best version of ourself.”