NATCHEZ — Members of the Class 5A state champion Natchez High School Lady Bulldogs basketball team had a beneficial summer with the formation of the Miss-Lou Stars AAU travel team.

Despite the name of the team, head coach Katrenia McNeal said there were no true superstars on the team as everyone contributed evenly in scoring and defense.

The Stars took their talents all over the South, first winning the May Madness tournament in Natchez before winning first in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Gulfport and second place in the Rumble on the Hardwood in Monroe, La.

With those wins, the Stars earned a bid into the TNC National tournament in Atlanta last week.

The Stars spent their summer conditioning with NHS head coach Alphaka Moore in the morning, and practicing for the travel team in the evening.

McNeal said their chemistry as a high school state champion team and their high level of conditioning helped them overpower other teams.

“Each game, the first half was very close, but by the second half we were actually pulling away,” McNeal said. “They went against great athletes, but we were in great shape.”

The first game was against the Rome Tarheels, which they won 46-31. That game was led by balanced scoring from Ernesha Chatman, Rashonae Rice, Taylor Argue and Kirdis Clark.

The Stars had to turn around and play another game against the Georgia Express that same day, and McNeal said she credits their conditioning for being able to pull through a second game in full speed.

The Stars received a bye after those two games, and wouldn’t play again until the championship in a rematch against the Georgia Express.

This time, McNeal said, the Stars had the Express figured out, and shut them out 47-29 for the title.

Jasmine Ivory and Rice led the scoring in the title game. Ivory didn’t blow up the scoring column in the Stars’ first match against the Express, but having several players with the ability to score was a key component for the Stars, McNeal said.

“They learned there is no real star on this team,” McNeal said. “If someone is hot at the moment, you have to feed it to them.

“It’s not about who scores the most points, it’s about playing great basketball collectively.”

The Stars also got a chance to see the Atlanta Dream play the New York Liberty, McNeal said, which was a defining moment for a group of players who want to one day join the WNBA.

With the summer now over, the Stars must transform back into Lady Bulldogs hoping to defend their state championship this winter, and McNeal said their travel team experience would only help them build as a team and as individual players for the future.

“Some of the games we played this season were filmed and sent to various colleges, so hopefully the girls get some recognition,” McNeal said. “The team wants to thank the community for their support with helping fund the travel to tournaments, and we’re looking for a another great season next year.”