Rivals Cape and Jackson to square off

With each team coming off back-to-back wins rivals Cape Central and Jackson girls basketball are set to square off. The Tigers will host an Indian team they have not defeated since December 20, 2012, a 49-48 victory.

Cape Central and Jackson will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Cape Central High School.

The Tigers are currently 6-5 and stand at 1-0 in the SEMO Conference with an overtime win over Poplar Bluff. The young team with just one senior is still growing under second-year head coach Aaron Lee, but with junior Emani Summers leading the charge the team appears to be headed in the right direction.

“She's [Summers] bought into what we're doing. She plays hard, there’s some things she needs to work on, but as far as competitiveness she gives us the competitive edge that we need,” Lee said. “She does a good job of leading us offensively all the time.”

Some qualities Lee has brought to the program are resiliency and defensive effort, both of which are key to winning basketball games.

“Our girls are resilient,” Lee said. “We’re not always composed but we’re resilient. When we make mistakes, we don’t get our heads down, we go back and play defense and get it again.”

As for Jackson, the Indians hold a 6-4 record and are 0-1 in the SEMO Conference with a 20-point loss to Kennett earlier this season. Jackson lost five seniors and their head coach last season, so the team as well as first-year head coach Angela Fulton are still growing together.

“We lost a good chunk last year, even the coach, so we're trying to figure each other out. The best part about it is it's still really early in the season, so we have plenty of time,” Fulton said earlier this season. “This is a good group of girls, so I do not doubt that we'll figure it out.”

One of Jackson’s returning starters is senior Holland Guilliams, Guilliams, who is committed to play collegiate volleyball at Southeast Missouri State University this fall, has been the guiding light of the Indians thus far.

“She's a great athlete, truth be told,” Fulton said on Guilliams. “I think the team saw her well tonight. She was able to capitalize on those open shots. She's a senior, so she kind of guides us, and sometimes she guides me.”