Tigers suffer first defeat
Published 7:44 am Thursday, November 28, 2013
By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser
After getting off to their best start in several years, the Chilton County High School varsity boys basketball team suffered its first loss on Monday night.
In the way: Benjamin Russell’s Quinstavious Johnson (right) makes it difficult for Chilton County’s Jacob Hatch to get off a shot attempt during Monday’s game.
In a hard-fought game that was neck-and-neck until late in the fourth quarter, the Tigers were unable to overcome turnovers and ultimately fell to the Benjamin Russell Wildcats, 80-69.
Timmy Lawson got the game started by hitting a 3-pointer for the visitors to put them out in front of the Tigers. Davre Williams would follow by sinking a basket of his own to start a 10-2 Tigers run before Lawson nailed a second three to draw the Wildcats to within two points of the lead.
Ronnie Stacy was fouled driving to the basket and at the stripe completed the three-point play, giving the Wildcats the lead late in the first quarter.
With a two-point Wildcat edge late in the first quarter, the visitors ended the period on a 6-0 run to lead 24-16 after one period of play.
A basket by Cade Hatch with 4:17 left in the second period gave the Tigers the lead, 28-27, but an 8-0 Wildcats run put the home team back in the hole, down 35-28 late in the second period.
Both teams put up a flurry of points in the closing seconds of the second period, but the Wildcats (2-0) would take the halftime lead, 46-40.
Stacy and Racquaez Cora exchanged two baskets each to start the third period to bring the score to 48-44 in favor of Benjamin Russell. Cora later drained another two-pointer to pull the Tigers to within one point, 50-49, late in the third period.
Down by one with 3:03 left in the third period, the Wildcats ended the period on a 10-3 run, taking a 64-56 lead to the fourth and final period.
With 4:55 left to play in the game, a Williams basket drew the Tigers (4-1) to within three of the Wildcats, but solid free throw shooting by the Wildcats, and turnovers by the Tigers, gave CCHS its first loss of the season.
Williams led the Tigers with 20 points, going 7-of-12 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free throw line. He also had five rebounds. Braylen Parker added 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Tigers.
Stacy led the Wildcats with 25 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
In varsity girls action, the Tigers (1-3) dropped their third straight game after a first half plagued with turnovers and only a 21-percent shooting effort.
Fade away: Chilton County’s Gabriel Kelley (left) shoots over Benjamin Russell’s Chloe Jones (3) and Alexis Flowers.
A 53-12 deficit at the half was too much to come back from, and the Wildcats (1-1) cruised to a 79-18 victory.
The Wildcats capitalized on Chilton turnovers in the first period en route to a 30-7 lead at the end of one.
The Wildcats’ pace would not change much through the second period as they outscored the Tigers 22-5 through the second period on their way to a big halftime lead.
With a running clock throughout the second period, the Wildcats put it in cruise control for the win.
Kadesha Lee led the Tigers with 10 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
