The 3-point shot ignited runs by Billingsley’s boys and girls teams on Friday as both took important area wins from Maplesville.

Billingsley’s girls trailed for most of the first half but went into the locker room up 20-18 after Viola Tyus sunk two free throws.

Neither team would score for the first 5:38 of the third period.

Brittany Brown broke the drought with a 3-pointer that sparked the Bears (6-5, 2-3 area) to a 13-0 run to end the quarter and Maplesville’s chances.

Lucretia Love put an exclamation point on the spurt when her floater at the buzzer bounced around then in.

Love scored a game-high 13 points, eight of which came in the fourth period.

Breanna Kent had 11 points, and Tyus chipped in nine.

Korisha Morrow led the Red Devils (2-6, 1-4) with 11 points.

Billingsley’s boys didn’t wait nearly as long to put the visitors away in a 61-47 win.

The Red Devils (1-7, 0-5) kept the Billingsley edge under three points until Travis Ivy drained a trey with 1:22 remaining in the first half to give the Bears (7-6, 2-3) a 28-23 lead.

The hosts would score four more before intermission and finished the job in the second half.

When Bryant Reese alertly heaved the ball downcourt to a wide open Jay Tyus, who slammed it in with two hands, the score became 45-30 with more than 2 minutes still to play in the third period.

The visitors clawed to within 10 points of the lead when Josh Talley drained a shot with a foot on the line with 2:02 left in the game, but it was too little too late.

Tyus led all scorers with 21 points.

Teammates Reese (11 points) and Ivy (10) also scored in double digits.

Bailey paced Maplesville with 18 points, and Talley contributed 13.

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Billingsley B-team 50, Maplesville 35

Reggie Browder and Justin Snow each had 12 points as the Bears cruised past the Red Devils.

Garrett Price had nine points for the hosts, and Jimmy Lanier was good for eight points.

Appollos Abercrombie led Maplesville with 11 points. Teammate Jarnez Marzette had 10.

– Stephen Dawkins can be reached at stephen.dawkins@clantonadvertiser.com.