Thursday, February 23, 2006
|
|
| Lions fall to
Devils in finals By BARRY BURLESON Points were hard to come by Thursday night when Marshall County rivals H.W. Byers and Potts Camp met in the Region 1-2A Tournament at Baldwyn. The game was tied at 15 at the half. The Lions matched their total in the third, outscoring the Cardinals 15-9 and then holding on for a 50-45 win and berth in the championship game. “Potts Camp always plays us tough,” said Byers head coach Gerone Kirkland, whose basketball team is 3-1 against the Cardinals this season. “They held us down and kept the score low, and we managed to pull away some in the second half.” Nicholas Tate was the sparkplug for the Lions. He scored 21. “We were up five in the third quarter, and then Tate hit back-to-back threes, and they were up by one,” said Chris Ferrell, head coach of the Cardinals. “We had them on their heels, and our game plan was working, but those shots turned the tide.” Potts Camp also had problems from the free-throw stripe, hitting just 10 of 23 tries. Russell Hubbard’s 11 points led the Cardinals. Byers moved on to face Ashland in the title contest, while Potts Camp met Baldwyn in the consolation matchup. Byers vs. Ashland Turnovers proved costly for the H.W. Byers Lions in a 69-56 setback to the Devils in Friday’s finals. “We had 12 turnovers versus just six against Potts Camp, and that was a big difference,” Kirkland said. Byers jumped to an early 20-10 lead over Ashland, but the Devils bounced back to take the second quarter 25-13 and remained in control in the second half. Leading the Lions were Bradley Coleman with 18 points and Tate with 13. For the district champion Devils, Fred Moore poured in 18, while Marcus Brown scored 12, Corderro Ayers 12 and Courtney Hampton 11. The Lions’ record moved to 18-14. They hosted West Bolivar Tuesday night of this week in the opening round of Class 2A North State competition. With a win, they move on to the quarter-finals later this week. The State Tournament begins next week in Jackson. Potts Camp vs. Baldwyn Coach Ferrell said his team lacked “that little extra” in a 64-52 loss to Baldwyn. “The Byers game broke our spirits,” he said. “We put our heart and soul into that game, and it kind of showed Friday.” The Bearcats surged in front 17-4 after one quarter. The Cardinals battled back in the second and third quarters, only to have Baldwyn go on a 22-12 run in the fourth. “Baldwyn just wanted it a little big more, and we came up short,” Ferrell said. “We defended hard, and we were in the game until the end.” Jacobye Davis lit up the scoreboard with 22 in the loss. Clyde Hubbard added 10. The Cardinals’ record went to 16-15. They hit the road to face Coahoma County, the defending state champ, in the opening round of Class 2A North State play Tuesday night. With a win, they advance to the quarter-finals later this week. The State Tournament starts next week in Jackson. Byers vs. New Site Coach Kirkland said his second-seeded Lions had a tough game in round one of the tournament Tuesday night. They fell behind seventh-seeded East Union 24-19 but rallied big to win 90-63. “We played well,” he said. “East Union is the best seventh seed you can find.” Three H.W. Byers players hit for double digits – Tristan Kizer with 18, Tedarian Bryson with 17 and Tate with 16. Potts Camp vs. New Site The third-seeded Cardinals had failed to beat only one team in its district this year, and they took care of that obstacle in the first round of the Region 1-2A Tournament Monday, Feb. 13. Ferrell’s team knocked off New Site 59-50. “We were excited to play the again, and we had a solid game,” he said. Davis turned in a strong performance. He scored a game-high 29. Eric Jackson contributed 13. Potts Camp led 32-21 at the half. Report News:
(662) 252-4261 or south@dixie-net.com
Web Site
managed and maintained by |
|
