By By Adam Robinson – Sports Editor
Missed easy shots and lay-ups, a 17-3 scoring disadvantage in the second quarter- which included a 14-0 run for the Bulldogs- and 7-of-22 shooting from the free throw line in the game.
That is what the stats looked like for the W.S. Neal High School Eagle basketball team Friday night at home against the UMS-Wright Bulldogs as they dropped an area game 52-38.
With the loss, the Eagles dropped to 12-8 overall and 1-3 in the area standings.
W.S. Neal led 10-8 after the first quarter of play, but allowed a 14-0 run in the second quarter to the Bulldogs as UMS-Wright outscored the Eagles 17-3 in the quarter to turn a two-point deficit into and eight-point lead at the half.
The Bulldogs extended their lead in the third quarter with a 9-6 advantage to hold a 34-19 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, W.S. Neal outscored the Bulldogs 19-18 but UMS-Wright won by 14 points, 52-38.
The Eagles were 7-of-22 from the free throw line while UMS was 13-of-20.
Chris Payne led the Eagles with 13 points and Bob Elliott followed with seven in the loss. Kendrick Floyd added five points.
Jeremy Nicholson and Sam Ewing both had four points each in he loss and William Shell added three points for the Eagles. Rashad Crook chipped in two points.
After falling behind 4-2 early in the first quarter, the W.S. Neal Eagles responded with a 5-0 run to get a 7-4 lead with just under four minutes left in the first quarter. From there, the Eagles held a 10-5 lead, but a late Bulldog 3-pointer cut the lead to 10-8 Eagles at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 14-0 run over the first five minutes of the quarter and W.S. Neal scoreless until the 2;18 mark to claim a 19-10 lead with 2:59 left in the half.
Payne ended the Bulldog run and Crook added a late basket for the Eagles, but UMS-Wright held a 25-13 lead at the half.
UMS quickly opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 30-13 lead with 6:48 left to play.
After being down as much as 17 at point in the quarter, the Eagles cut the lead to 12 points but were outscored by three points in the quarter to trail by 15 going into the fourth quarter of play 35-19.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles were 4-of-10 from the free throw line and only managed five field goals in the quarter, three of which were 3-pointers, as they fell by 14 in the area game to the Bulldogs.
W.S. Neal will travel to B.C. Rain in Mobile on Friday for their final area game of the season.