Belgreen sweeps Phillips

J.R. Tidwell/FCT Belgreen’s Chase Landers (22) makes a short jumper over a Phillips defender Tuesday night in Belgreen. Landers had 21 points in the Bulldogs’ win over their area opponent the Phillips Bears.

BELGREEN — Class 1A Area 13 may come down to Belgreen and Phillips at the end of the season, and the match-up between the two varsity boys teams proved to be an excellent game.

Despite Belgreen starting the match with a 10-0 run, the two teams were tied at 24 apiece at halftime, and by the end of the contest the Bulldogs pulled out a 61-55 victory.

“This was a big game, and we played really good,” Belgreen head coach Greg Watson said. “They shoot really well. Most teams have two or three shooters, but all of their starters can shoot for them.”

The game stayed close throughout the 32 minute contest, and the end of the third saw the two teams tied yet again at 40-40.

The Bears went ahead with a three-pointer to start the fourth, and Phillips would keep the lead until Josh DeVaney took the ball from across the court, pulled up at the top of the key and drained a trey with 4:10 left in the game.

Phillips took the lead again with its next field goal, but the Bulldogs answered with two points of their own, and this time Belgreen would lead until the final buzzer.

The Bulldogs picked up a six-point win over an area opponent in a game that featured five lead changes in the second half.

“We didn’t play very well defensively tonight,” Watson said. “The players stepped up towards the end of the game, and this is a big, big win at home. I’m proud of our guys.”

Chase Landers and Brock Hester were the driving force behind the Bulldogs’ win Tuesday night.

Both had 21 points, Landers hit most of his shots from the field in two-point range and Hester crashed the boards and provided several rebounds on the night.

Also scoring for Belgreen were: DeVaney (7), Dustin Smith (6), Dakota Davis (2), Jared Mitchell (2) and Nick Miller (2).

The Belgreen Lady Bulldogs halted a short losing skid with an impressive 66-30 win over the Phillips She-Bears.

Thanks to solid man-to man defense and press coverage, the Lady Bulldogs allowed only five points in the first quarter while scoring 15 of their own.

Belgreen made almost every shot in the paint on the night, and the mix of offense and defense spelled the end for any hope Phillips had of winning the game.

“This was a team effort,” Belgreen head coach Richie Hester said. “This is what we’re looking for, more unity. This is what we’ve got to do, and I’m proud of all of them.”

The Lady Bulldogs had a steadily increasing lead throughout the contest that culminated with a three-point shot by Jasmine Martin that put Belgreen up by 30 in the fourth quarter and starting a running clock with 6:15 remaining.

Allyson Bragwell led the team in points with 22. Laken Bragwell added 14 and Lexie Bragwell totaled 13.

Also scoring for Belgreen were: Katelynn Scott (6), Alex Miller (4), Martin (3), Mollie Hester (2) and Hanna Taylor (2).

“We hit 16-19 free throws, and that means a lot,” Hester said. “We have a young team, and they will become more consistent as they go.”