By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

MOBILE —  Home-standing Alabama swept a pair of prep basketball games from Mississippi over the weekend.

The Alabama All-Stars overcame a halftime deficit to capture a 91-85 win in the 35th Annual Alabama/Mississippi Boys All-Star Basketball Classic Saturday afternoon.

The win, at the Mitchell Center on the campus of The University of South Alabama, increased the series lead to 19-16 for Alabama. Pascagoula head coach Lorenzo Wright was at the helm of the Mississippi squad.

Hoover High teammates DeWayne Brown and Salim London combined for 57 points to power Alabama past Mississippi. Brown was selected as the Alabama MVP as he posted a double-double with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Meanwhile, London poured in a game-high 30 points and added 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

The Mississippi All-Stars were paced by Phil Nelson of Ridgeland who was named Mississippi MVP after scoring 16 points, snaring 7 rebounds, and adding 3 assists, 4 steals, and 1 blocked shot. Mike Williams of Germantown led the Magnolia State squad in scoring with 19 points and had 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocked shots.

Mississippi led slightly at 43-41 at halftime after Mississippi hit 5-of-16 three pointers while Alabama managed only 1-for-12 beyond the three-point line in the first half.

The turning point of the game happened immediately after the break as Alabama’s London opened the second half with a three-pointer, stole the ball and assisted Brown on a tip-in, and then hit a layup after a Brown blocked shot giving Alabama a 48-45 lead it never relinquished.

Ashton Magee of South Jones chipped in 16 points with 3 rebounds and 1 steal for Mississippi, while Pascagoula’s Kelan Rich scored nine points and had five rebounds.

Alabama’s other double digit scoring player was J. D. Gossett who had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Alabama out-rebounded Mississippi 51-38.

In the girls game, Alabama surged ahead in the third quarter to knock off Mississippi 81-71 in the 35th annual affair.

The win was their eighth in a row for Alabama since 2018 and increased its series lead to 21-14.

Ace Austin of Spring Garden and Kaitlyn Gipson of Hoover tied for the game-high in points with 17 each. Alabama’s Saniya Jackson of Park Crossing added 11 points with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. Alabama’s Sarah Gordon of Vestavia Hills finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal.

Mississippi was paced by Jahanna “JoJo” Wilson of Callaway who scored a team-high 16 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals and was named the Mississippi MVP. Alabama was led by squad MVP Ashlyn Howard of Hewitt-Trussville, who was a late addition to the team and came off the bench to record a double-double scoring 13 points with a game-high 15 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot. Mississippi was also bolstered by the play of Nadia Norfleet of Tupelo who had 13 points and Zariyah Edwards of Starkville who had 10 points and 5 rebounds. Alabama’s Saniya Jackson of Park Crossing added 11 points with 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot. Alabama’s Sarah Gordon of Vestavia Hills finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. Alabama out-rebounded Mississippi 72 to 54 and had an advantage in second chance points by a 21 -8 margin.