By Robert Wilson
Jackson Prep senior guard Andie Flatgard made history Wednesday becoming the first girls basketball player at Prep to sign a scholarship with a four-year college since the 1990s. She made history again on the court Thursday night.
Flatgard set a Mississippi record and possibly a national record with seven 3-pointers in one quarter of Prep’s 54-22 victory Thursday night over defending MAIS Class 3A state champion Clinton Christian Academy at Prep.
Flatgard – a member of the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Preseason Elite 11 Team – made her seven 3-pointers in the first quarter as Prep jumped out to a 27-7 lead. Flatgard played about half of the second quarter and played a few minutes of the second half and finished with 25 points.
The National Federation of State High School Associations record book doesn’t have most 3-pointers in a quarter, but does have it by half and that record is 11.
The 5-foot-8 Flatgard became the first Prep girls basketball player to sign a college scholarship since Lori Jenkins signed with Division II Mississippi College in 1992-1993 when she signed Wednesday with Division II Alabama-Huntsville, which plays in the Gulf South Conference with MC and Delta State.
Flatgard is averaging 20.2 points, including a career-high 34 points against Central Hinds, this season for 6-0 Prep. She has made 22 3-pointers this season, including a career-high eight against Central Hinds, and shooting 46.8 percent from 3-point range. Flatgard is also averaging 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.3 assists.
Laurel Bane scored a school record 42 points as junior during the 2010-2011 season and also has the school record with an 18.1 scoring average that season. Bane was named to The Clarion-Ledger All-Metro third team as a junior and senior.
Flatgard averaged 14.7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and shot 36 percent from 3-point range (73 of 201) and led Prep to a 24-5 record, a MAIS Class 5A runner-up finish and a MAIS Overall quarterfinals finish last season. She made second team on the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season.
“Andie really got into the zone early tonight like she’s capable of doing,” Prep coach Michael McAnally said. “Her shot was a little off on Tuesday night (against Simpson Academy) and I’m sure that served as some personal ammunition for her.
“Andie’s shooting accuracy is directly attributable to her fundamentals. Her footwork and her release are consistently the same, which is key for high accuracy shooters. Couple that with the thousands of shots she has taken to get to this point, and you get the result like you saw tonight.”
Prep’s next game is Tuesday at Simpson.
