It was a game of two halves, as the Chilton County Tigers used a dominant second half to defeat the Maplesville Red Devils 70-54 on Dec. 15.

The Red Devils (0-2) opened the game with a 9-2 scoring run and led for most of the first half, including 31-26 at halftime.

“The mindset at halftime was to just do what we do well, which is letting our offense dictate our defense,” Chilton County head coach Deon Timmons said. “We did a much better job of boxing out on the boards.”

Terence Dunlap scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the first half to help fuel the scoring.

However, the Tigers (6-3) turned the tide in the second half, as Chilton County outscored Maplesville 22-5 in the third quarter.

“My center [Nathaniel Watson] got into foul trouble and had to sit for about a quarter and a half,” Maplesville head coach Eric Bailey said. “They were able to capitalize on that situation.”

Donte Davis did a good job of facilitating the basketball and getting several players involved.

“I’ve always been a pass-first guard,” Davis said. “I try to drive and use my speed to get them [defenders] to commit, and I just dish it to the big men whenever I can. It’s a connection that we have.”

The senior guard finished with seven assists on the night, the majority of which came as a result of penetration in the lane. He also had 14 points including a key 3-pointer to help grow the lead in the third quarter.

He offered up room service assists throughout the night, including one that resulted in a two-hand flush from Mondez Jones.

“He’s [Davis] so quick and agile that he can make things happen when he gets in the paint,” Timmons said. “I need him to be the guy that gets everyone else involved. That’s his game.”

Jones had a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds, while Damian Wilson fell just shy of the feat with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Maplesville found success from long range and knocked down nine 3-pointers in the game. Daryl Odom made five shots from beyond the arc, as all of his 15 points came from long range.

“We’ve only had a few days of practice and we’ve still got ‘football legs,’” Bailey said. “I’m pleased with the effort and now we’ve just got to work on some fundamental stuff.”