By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
While the Brewton Middle School Lady Tigers basketball team continued to assert itself in the early stages of its season, the Brewton Tigers were able to crack the victory column for the first time this season with their respective victories at W.S. Neal Monday.
The Lady Tigers used a big second half to pull away for a 30-9 win over the Lady Blue Eagles.
Brewton (2-0) had two significant defensive strings during the game. The Lady Tigers held W.S. Neal scoreless for 10 minutes in a stretch that began in the final minute of the first quarter and did not end until the third quarter was two minutes old. Brewton also held the Lady Blue Eagles (1-1) scoreless over the final seven minutes of play.
Brewton led just 9-5 at halftime before it went a 16-2 tear in the third quarter to knock its cushion up to 25-9. Nakiya Smith triggered that run with back-to-back buckets at the start of the quarter and added another hoop along the way. Keydra Shedrone also had a couple of buckets in the decisive third quarter.
Smith went on to finish up with a game high 13 point, while Shedrone added six. Freida Folmar led W.S. Neal with five points.
In the boys game, the Tigers erased a 4-0 deficit with a 10-0 run in the first quarter and never trailed again. Brewton (1-1) eventually stretched its advantage up to a game high bulge of 19-10 when Deonte Powell scored from down low midway through the third quarter.
The Blue Eagles (1-1) battled back pulled within 24-23 on Bob Elliott's field goal with three minutes left.
W.S. Neal was never unable to get over the hump. The Tigers were able to turn the Blue Eagles when a bucket by Derrick Riley, two free throws by Keyanta Lewis and an offensive rebound bucket by Chris Bell put the lead up to 30-23 with only 32 seconds left.
Riley went on to lead the Tigers with 11 points although W.S. Neal's Jeremy Nicholson led all players with 13.
W.S. Neal, which played at Carver Tuesday, hosts Jay today at 3 p.m. and Pollard-McCall Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Brewton's next game is Thursday when it opens the home portion of its season against Flomaton at 5 p.m. That game will be played at T.R. Miller High School.
Girls game
Brewton 6 3 16 5 – 30
W.S. Neal 5 0 4 0 – 9
BREWTON- Smith 13, Shedrone 6, McCorvey 5, Gibbs 4, Thompson 2
W.S. NEAL- Folmar 5, Lancaster 2, Hawthorne 2
Boys game
Brewton 10 3 11 7 – 31
W.S. Neal 4 6 9 6 – 25
BREWTON- Riley 11, Bell 5, McCorvey 5, Lane 4, Lewis 4, Powell 2
W.S. NEAL- Nicholson 13, Thomas 4, Elliott 4, Alexander 2, Smith 2