Hot third quarter sends Bulldogs past Wildcats

By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
BELGREEN - As bad as the Belgreen Bulldogs looked in Friday night's second quarter, they more than made up for it in the third.
After scoring just three points in quarter number two, the Bulldogs out-scored Colbert Heights 23-9 in the third quarter en route to earning a 67-57 victory over the Wildcats.
Cansler scored Belgreen's first eight points of the second half, and the Bulldogs (3-4, 3-2 Class 2A, Area 16) closed the third quarter on a 15-3 run to turn a two-point lead into a 41-27 advantage.
Colbert Heights out-scored the Bulldogs 13-3 in the second quarter to wipe out a 10-point deficit and send the game to halftime tied 18-18.
Cansler opened the second half with a three-pointer and a three-point play, and a layup by Kelsey Motes started a string of 15 unanswered points by the Bulldogs.
Nathan Hamilton capped off Belgreen's spurt with back-to-back buckets before the Wildcats banked in a desperation three as the third quarter ended.
Hamilton finished with a team-high 19 points, 17 of them in the second half. He was 6-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs were 14-of-20 from the stripe as a team.
Senior post players Avis Smith and Cody Rikard each added nine points for the Bulldogs, and Josh Smith had seven. Motes finished with six points, and Josh Dobbs had one.
The Bulldogs will return to area action on Tuesday when they travel to face Cherokee.
B-Team
Belgreen 48 Colbert Heights 40
Skylar King led the Bulldogs (4-3) with 14 points in Friday's win.
Grant Tarascou and Humberto Pena each added 10 points for Belgreen.
Marty Britton finished with six points, and Lucas Albert added four. Adam Jeffreys and Justin Gardner each had two points.
Cody Hamm led Colbert Heights with 16 points.