By BRANDON SUMRALL/Special to the Advertiser

The Billingsley Bears played host to the Maplesville Red Devils on Jan. 16, and were not very hospitable hosts as both the Bears girls and boys teams successfully defended their home court. 

In the girls game, the Bears got out to an early lead and never looked back on their way to a 37-20 win over the Red Devils.

Alexis Cook got the scoring started with a three-point basket early in the game but an old fashioned three-point play by Amber Uptain tied the game at 3-3 with 4:06 to play.

Another three-point basket by the Bears, this time by Abby Tindol, and a basket by Tashanna Parker extended the Bears lead to five points.

Uptain tacked on two more points for the Red Devils, but it was the Bears (4-5 overall, 0-1 area) that led after one, 8-5.

Uptain struck again to start the second, but it was quickly answered by a basket from Parker. Still early in the period, Kendrauna Griffen tied the game at 10-10 with a three-pointer for Maplesville.

With 5:55 left in the second period, a basket by Tindol started an 8-1 Bears run, as Billingsley ended the half up, 18-11.

The Bears continued the three-point shooting to start the second half, as Cook drained another shot from behind the arc to extend the Bears lead to 10.

Uptain and Tayuna Watson cut the lead to six points, but a three-point play from Parker extended the lead back to nine.

Both teams exchanged a couple of early baskets to start the fourth period before a McKenzie Glass three-pointer pushed the Bears’ lead to 14 points with a minute to play.

Late baskets by Tindol and Cook gave the Bears a 37-20 win at home over the Red Devils (1-6, 0-2).
Cook led the Bears with 14 points, four rebounds, and one steal.

Uptain led the Red Devils with 12 points, four rebounds, and six steals.

It took the Bears and Red Devils varsity boys every second of the 32 minute game to decide a winner. The Bears needed a late run to pull out a 53-51 win.

Kendarius Bradley got the Red Devils off to the right start by dropping in the game’s first four points. A three-point play by Anthony Moore gave Maplesville a seven-point lead just over a minute into the period.

Derek Stoudemire dropped in the Bears first points of the game with a three-point basket at the 5:15 mark of the first period.

A free throw from Dunlap and basket from William Harrison made the Maplesville lead seven points with 4:45 to play. Rashaud Caver added a three-point basket for the Bears (3-8; 1-2) and with a basket from Jaytarius Steele and Isaac Green the game was tied at 10-10.

Dunlap executed a three-point play that in turn was answered the same way by Jeffery Lee to end the first period with a 13-13 score.

Jeremy Williams gave the Red Devils a two-point lead to start the second period and a Harrison free throw made it a three-point Maplesville lead.

Five consecutive points from Derrick Dunigan flipped the lead back in favor of the Bears at 18-16.
Steele extended the Billingsley lead to four points, while a three-pointer from Jarrett Acreman and a basket from Moore for the Red Devils made it a 23-20 lead for the Bears.

With the Bears leading by five with under a minute to play, four points from Dunlap cut the Bears’ lead to three at the half, 28-25.

A three-pointer from Green to start the third period extended the Bears’ lead to six but just seconds later, Dunlap drained a three for the Red Devils to give the Bears a 31-28 lead.

With the two teams exchanging blows throughout most of the third period, a basket by Williams tied the game once again, this time at 35-35 with 2:12 to play in the period.

With just 18 seconds to go in the period, a free throw from Stoudemire gave the Bears a 36-35 lead at the end of three periods of play.

Three free throws from Moore to start the period switched the lead over to the Red Devils, but Green knotted the game once again at 38-38.

Neither team led by more than two points through the first six minutes of the final period, and the game went into the final two minutes of the game with the Bears clinging to a 45-44 lead.

Lee sank a two-point basket for the Bears to open the lead to three but Dunlap answered for the Red Devils.

Green countered with another basket for Billingsley, but once again the Red Devils matched with a basket from Bradley.

With just 26 seconds to play, a Terrance Nolen basket gave the Bears a three-point lead.

A pair of free throws with four seconds to go gave the Bears a five-point lead. Dunlap tossed up a three-point shot as time expired that found the bottom of the net, but it wasn’t enough, as the Bears picked up their third win of the season.

Green led the Bears with nine points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and four blocks.

Dunlap led the Red Devils with 24 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.