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The perfect blend of youth and experience would be on almost any coach's wish list. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler head coach Jarvis Davis is one of those coaches who doesn't have that concern. His duo of Shalika Smalls and Melinda Brimfield have given opposing coaches reason to be concerned all season long.
"I think they understand each other a lot," Davis said. "I know they played together last year, but they understand each other's game. They've made plays that I can't believe they made, but I guess that's just from them working together and playing together."
With them being the leaders of the team, they realize how their success effects their teammates.
"If I play hard, then she's going to play hard," Smalls said. "If she plays hard, then everybody will play hard."
Although they're both capable of scoring over 20 points in a game, they're also capable of picking up the slack when one of them is having a bad shooting night. The night that came to mind for Davis was the Upper State semifinals against Great Falls. While Brimfield struggled to produce offensively, Smalls unloaded a season-high 46 on the Lady Red Devils to advance to the Upper State Finals.
"That's what they have to do," Davis said. "That's why I tell my players that they're not going to have a great game every time out. That's just the nature of basketball."
Both Smalls and Brimfield are extremely competitive when it comes to winning, but they never try to outshine one another.
"I've never seen the two clash," Davis said, "and that's a great thing. Both of them are so unselfish. When Melinda asks about how many points she scored, she always asks about Shalika and Shalika does the same. I think it compliments each other always."
Saturday's championship game against C.E. Murray will not be Smalls' first time playing in the biggest high school basketball game in the state. Smalls has won back-to-back championships with H-K-T. So, it's easy for Smalls to tell Brimfield and the rest of her teammates what to expect when they play at the Colonial Center this weekend.
"I know how it is when you get to a championship game," Smalls said. "When you step in the Colonial Center, it's going to be a different environment. You're going to want to give your all if you're a senior, freshman, or whatever."
Should the Lady Trojans defeat the Lady War Eagles, it would be Brimfield's first championship.
"I hope she gets it," Davis said. "I want her to get it because once she wins one, she'll have that burning sensation in her heart to win another one and another one and another one until she graduates. So, it'll make her more competitive. It'll make her want to keep winning."
-- T&D Sports Writer Emery Glover can be reached by e-mail at eglover@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5532. Check out his blog, Cover 2, at www.thetandd.com. --