By STAN CALDWELL/Sports Writer

JACKSON — If you like defensive, grind-it-out basketball, you would have been in your element Monday morning at Mississippi Coliseum.

And Starkville’s girls proved better at it than Biloxi. As a result the special season for the top-ranked Lady Indians’ is over one game short of the state finals, going down to an ugly 23-16 defeat in the Class 7A Final Four.

The Yellowjackets (25-6) advanced to the championship game at 6 p.m. Thursday against Tupelo. Biloxi finished 29-2.

This game started getting away from the Indians in the second quarter, after a blistering start that saw them convert 5 of 6 shots from the field, and built an 11-1 lead after the first quarter.

But Biloxi scored just 3 points in the second quarter, they were held scoreless in the third quarter and scored just one lonely field goal in the fourth quarter.

Biloxi head coach Devin Hill refused to meet the media following the game, saying simply, “we’ll have nothing to say today.”

And, really, there wasn’t much he could say. Starkville beat the Indians at the slow pace both teams chose to employ, and Hill didn’t help his team’s cause by holding the ball for three minutes in the third quarter, then getting nothing out of the stall game.

“I thought we played a little nervous at the beginning, which is to be expected,” said Starkville coach Matt Wilbanks. “(After the first quarter), we just told the kids to continue doing what we do.

“It got to 11-1, then it was 14-8 at halftime. I told them in the locker room that, look, ‘we’re only down six. It feels like we’re down 20, but it’s only six.’ A shot or two goes in, we get a layup early, and just keep griding it out one possession at a time.”

It was in the second that the ‘Jackets’ 1-3-1 zone began to affect Biloxi in a big way. In particular, Starkville tightened up its defense on Biloxi sophomore center Zaniya Johnson.

The Yellowjackets used 6-foot senior Zariyah Edwards to play behind the 6-4 Johnson, and rotated several others to bring in the double-team.

“That’s a testament to Big Z (Edwards),” said Wilbanks. “Now, it was a team effort, with some help side defense. But we kept stressing to Big Z – because she’s used to scoring and dominating – that, ‘you’re impacting the game.

“‘We can’t take you out, because you’re the one who can wall her up. So just don’t worry about scoring until the time comes. Just keep playing defense.’ Fortunately, the ball found her and she gave us the and-one to give us the lead.”

Johnson was held to just 3 points, but did grab 10 rebounds, as the Indians’ equally tenacious 2-3 zone kept Starkville from gaining any offensive traction.

Biloxi still led 14-8 at halftime, and at the end of the third quarter, 14-12.

But it was all Starkville in the second quarter, as the Yellowjackets raced past the idling Indians 11-2 in the period.

Sophomore Logan Warren converted the first possession of the final quarter by swishing a 12-foot jump shot from the left side for the first tie of the game.

Johnson gave Biloxi the lead back momentarily putting an offensive rebound back up for an 8-footer, but the ‘Jackets took the lead for good when Edward got open for a layup, drew a foul and converted the and-one to give Starkville the lead.

The dagger came two possessions later, when Warren nailed a wide-open 3-ball from the right corner.

Junior Jada Gay led Starkville with 8 points, and junior Na’Kenya Terry led Biloxi with 7 points.

Starkville and Tupelo have met three times already this season, splitting the regular season meetings, with the Yellowjackets winning in the Region 2-7A tournament championship game. The Golden Wave edged Northwest Rankin 62-61 in the other semifinal.