By Brandon Sumrall | Special with the Advertiser

The Verbena Red Devils remain undefeated on the young season with a 66-53 win on the road against Billingsley.

Both varsity boys’ teams started out shooting well from the field, as a pair of baskets by Juwan Tyus of Verbena along with a basket from Larry Starks and John Callens of Billingsley evened the score at four.

Imani Walls gave the Red Devils a two-point lead and another basket from
Tyus extended that lead to four.

James Wood sank a three for the Bears that cut the lead to two and later sank another to give Billingsley a one-point lead.

Verbena’s Juwan Tyus is contested in the paint by Billingsley’s Jordan Thompson (No. 13). Tyus finished with a monster performance that included 27 points and 19 rebounds. (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Special)

Another three from Wood extended the Billingsley lead to four but a three from Tristan Short and a free throw from Anthony Miller gave Verbena a one point, 14-13
lead at the end of the first.

Walls and Tyus extended the Verbena lead to four early in the
second period, but baskets from Starks and Callens knotted the
game at 19.

A basket from Starks gave the Bears a two-point lead and Short answered with a Red Devil basket to bring the score to 21-all.

Miller and Tyus gave Verbena a four-point lead, but a three from Wood and a buzzer-beating basket from Starks sent the game to the half with Billingsley leading 26-25.

With the game tied at 28 early in the third period, a basket from Tyus started a 6-0 run by Verbena to give the Red Devils a 37-31 lead.

A three from Wood ended the Verbena run but a basket from Tristan Short started another 5-0 Red Devil run to make the score 44-3.

Baskets from Dawson Rohrbough and Starks pulled the Bears to within nine, but a 6-3 run to end the period saw the Red Devils go to fourth quarter with a 50-38 lead.

The fourth and final period saw little change in the outcome of the game as the Red Devils maintained a 10-point lead or more throughout the period and went on to earn the victory.
Tyus led the Red Devils with 27 points, 19 rebounds and a block.
Wood led the Bears with 23 points, including seven-of-12 from behind the
arc and three rebounds.