STATESBORO – The Bulloch Academy Gators defeated the Westminster Schools of Augusta Wildcats in a region doubleheader sweep. The Varsity Girls won 54-49 and the varsity Boys won 70-61.
The Girls Couldn’t Shut Down That Wildcat Offense
Although the Lady Gators came out with the win, they couldn’t seem to stop that Lady Wildcat offense. This game was a lot closer than it should’ve been. Normally the Lady Gators would use their full-court press to put pressure on a lot of teams and it would work. Monday night that full-court press didn’t work as the Lady Wildcats just kept dribbling through them like it was nothing.
The Lady Gators went almost 6 for 22 from the free throw line and had over almost 20+ turnovers, but were able to make some strategic baskets down the stretch and with a minute left in the game, some much needed free throws that put the nail in the coffin for the Lady Wildcats. Head coach Chandler Dennard had some good stuff to say about his team down the stretch.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever won a game in my career where you shoot 6 of 22 from the free throw line and have over 20 turnovers,” Dennard said. “That’s generally not a good combination for a close game, but we found a way to win it in the end. The last five minutes of the game we played really well. They made some big shots to kind of get back in it, but we did a good job executing and getting some easy buckets to kind of get the lead.”
Leading scorer for the girls game was Ashantay Noble with 28 points. That performance was followed by Rylie Ann Claxton with nine points, Kaley Cardell with seven points, Maralyne Belcher with three points, Brylie Ray and Zariah Major with two points and Emery Lynn Davis with one point.
With this win, the Lady Gators have a 14-5 overall record and 3-0 region record. They are ranked first in the region going into the depth of region play towards this part of the season.
Boys… Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover
The Gators may have won this region matchup, but it was not in their usual flare and fashion. The Gators started out slow, which allowed for the Wildcats to slink in and take control of the game.
The Gators kept the lead the entire game, but it just seemed like they couldn’t put the Wildcats away. They would get a six to eight point lead, then make a turnover that would let the Wildcats score to get back in the game.
The Wildcats were hitting some big shots down the stretch trying to put themselves back in the game, but after having two of their players foul out with about three minutes left, the Gators were able to take advantage of that and solidify their win.
Head coach Zachary Brackett had great things to say about his team’s execution Monday night.
“Effort was there, intensity was there, pace was there,” Brackett said. “We got some people to step up and make some shots and overall I was pleased.”
Leading scorer for the boys game Jackson Sheppard with 16 points. That performance was followed by Shamar Jenkins with 15 points, Keonte Mayner with 12 points, Will Ellis with eight points, Reid Clifton with seven points, Ben Aaron with six points and Ike Hubbard with four points.
With this win, the Gators have a 9-10 overall record and 1-2 region record. They are ranked fourth and vying for a spot in the top three.
Up Next:
The Gators will be back in action at home on Tuesday night as they take on in-town rivals, Pinewood Christian Academy in their fourth straight region game. The Varsity Girls will tip-off at 6 p.m., with the Varsity Boys following shortly after them at 7:30 p.m.
