MA hosts holiday tournament

Day two of the Marshall Academy Christ­mas Tourna­ment included five games involving county schools with the MA girls winning the championship. Potts Camp girls and H.W. Byers boys were runners-up.

Byers boys-Rossville

The last game on Friday was a boys championship match-up. Vying for the title, the Byers boys held the advantage in the first and third quarters but couldn’t hold on. The Lions dropped a 63-55 decision to Rossville Christian Academy (Tenn.).

Both teams traded the lead in the first quarter before Byers came out leading 14-13.

The Wolves’ scoring had kicked up a notch as they took the lead 31-22 at the half.

The game was tied at 39 with 1:27 left in the third. A three from KaDamion Rhyan and a bucket by Exavier Martin put the Lions up 44-43.

In the fourth, the game was deadlocked at 45. Byers broke the tie but fell behind as Rossville pulled away to win by eight points.

Ryan was the leading scorer for Byers with 19 points. Michael Mabon had 11 and Martin 10.

MA girls-Potts Camp

The Lady Patriots turned up the defense and took the championship, defeating Potts Camp 38-17.

The MA girls held the Lady Cardinals scoreless in the first quarter. Bryanna Miller drilled a three and Julia Nicholson fired in a pair of buckets for Marshall. The score was 7-0.

Potts Camp got its first lead on Jasmine Anderson’s three and Ashley Anderson’s two baskets in the second but still found itself trailing 11-7 at the half.

The Lady Pats were still on top at the end of the third, 21-12.

Nicholson and Blake Martin paved the way for Marshall’s victory, scoring seven points each in the fourth.

Nicholson was MA’s top scorer with 15 points. Martin added 11.

For Potts Camp, Jazmine Hudson and A. Anderson each scored four.

Marshall JV-Fayette

On day one of the tourney, the MA junior varsity team had knocked off West Memphis Christian (Ark) in a close contest 47-45. But this time around, Fayette Academy (Tenn.) routed the Patriots 76-43.

The Patriots were down 7-2 early and 26-10 at the end of the first.

A replica of the first quarter, the Vikings still held the advantage 52-23.

With a minute left in the third, Drayton Potts made back-to-back threes for MA. Reagan White and Eli Pearson each drilled a three, too. But the Vikings had stretched the lead to 62-37 as time expired in the third.

Potts was Marshall’s top scorer with 13.

MA boys-Potts Camp

In this contest, the Cardinals had something to prove after dropping a game to Rossville, 73-64, a day earlier.

The Cardinals turned back the host team 69-51.

The game was tied at 2. A trey from Rahmon Rutherford broke the tie and gave Marshall a 5-2 lead at the 5:27 mark in the first. But the Cardinals’ scoring took a surge. Nathan Peace fired in a three, and on a steal, Alec Smith made a bucket. Jacob Gadd answered with a three for Marshall. The Cardinals were up 17-8 at the end of the first.

At the halfway point, Potts Camp was still leading 32-18.

The Cardinals kept the momentum in the third and led 45-29 as the quarter expired.

MA turned up the heat in the fourth. Gadd fired in three threes and Pearson hit a long range shot, too. Trell Kimmons answered with a pair of threes for Potts Camp. The Cardinals led by 24 points in this frame and won by 18.

Kimmons led the way for Potts Camp with 14 points. Mitchell Saulsberry had 12.

Rutherford was the top scorer for MA with 17 points. Gadd had 16 and Peyton Taylor 15.

Byers girls-Rossville

The Lady Lions, trailing the bulk of the game, fell 56-24 to the Lady Wolves from Rossville.

Byers girls were down 10-5 early and 15-5 at the end of the first quarter.

At intermission, the Lady Lions found themselves still trailing 34-12.

Rossville girls built a 47-17 lead at the end of the third.

Dallas Fitzpatrick scored 12 points for Byers.