NATCHEZ — JaDarrius Ivory’s 19 points weren’t enough for the Natchez High Bulldogs to overcome an early deficit against the defending MHSAA Class 4A State champions McComb, as they fell 73-52.

“McComb is a really good team, and their guys play hard,” Natchez assistant coach David Haywood said. “Our guys, we struggled to be consistent in effort. We missed a lot of easy shots, and we had been shooting the ball well in practice. Unfortunately, they weren’t falling tonight.”

Although the final score showed the Bulldogs falling by 21, Natchez was within 10 for most of the game,

However, it was the advantage in height and on the boards that allowed McComb to lock up the win.

“They got a bunch of second chance points, and that is going to hurt you,” Haywood said.

This is Natchez’s first game since dropping both contests in the Sunkist Shootout tournament in Lafayette over Christmas break, and Haywood says he feels confident the team will bounce back with district play beginning Friday.

“We’ve got a tough road ahead of us,” he said. “The season depends on district. We’ve got a district game Friday, you win that, and you put yourself in a great position to make a run at playoffs.”

Micheal Morris was the only other Bulldog to score in double-digits, putting up 13. Emmanuel Thompson led McComb with 23 points and Carlos Porter added 14 for the Tigers.