By By Adam Robinson
sports editor
The second games of the season for the W.S. Neal basketball teams saw all three teams earn the same result as they did in the first game.
The B-team Eagles lost 38-31 Thursday night at home to Red Level to fall to 0-2. The girls won 39-20 to improve to 2-0 this season.
The boys game was the most exciting of the night as they squeezed out a 50-48 come-from-behind win to improve to 2-0 this season.
All teams were set to play at Flomaton Friday night with the boys team playing in the Flomaton Thanksgiving Tournament beginning Saturday in Flomaton at 4:30 p.m. against Bayside.
Red Level 38,
W.S. Neal B-team 31
Trailing 33-23 with 2:20 left in the game after an 8-0 run by Red Level, the B-team Eagles had their own 8-0 run to cut the lead to 33-31 with 51 seconds left but that would be as close as they would get as they lost 38-31 Thursday to Red Level.
Red Level was 5-for-7 from the free throw line in the final minute to help down the Eagles.
W.S. Neal trailed 9-3 in the first quarter and the only points scored in the quarter was a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Dalton Evans.
In the second quarter, the Eagles rallied with an 11-8 advantage to cut the lead to 17-14 at the half and trailed 23-21 at the end of the third quarter after a 7-6 advantage.
In the fourth quarter, Red Level outscored the Eagles 15-10 to get the seven-point win.
Donovan Millican led W.S. Neal with eight points and Jaquan Tucker followed with six along with Jalen Harrod.
Evans had five in the loss and Jaleel Elliott had four. Josiah Nettles rounded out the Eagle scorers with two points.
W.S. Neal girls 39,
Red Level 20
Keyvonnia Kyles posted 19 points Thursday night at home as the W.S. Neal Lady Eagles improved to 2-0 with a 39-20 win over Red Level.
W.S. Neal outscored Red Level 12-6 in the first quarter, 11-5 in the second quarter, both teams had five in the third, and W.S. Neal led 11-4 in the fourth quarter to get the 19-point win.
Roberts said the 2-0 start to the season is a good feeling.
Following Kyles, Briana Hawthorne had eight points in the win with Folmar also having eight.
Tiana Smith had the other four points in the win for the Lady Eagles.
W.S. Neal jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the game and held a 12-6 lead after the first quarter and led by as much as 14 in the third quarter.
Kyles had the first seven points of the game
The Eagles shot 4-for-16 from the free throw line in the game and was 3-for-9 in the fourth quarter.
W.S. Neal boys 50,
Red Level 48
Free throws are supposed to be the easiest way to pick up points in basketball. It can be easy and it can be hard, it can win you games and lose you games.
The W.S. Neal basketball almost learned the latter Thursday night.
After trailing the whole game, the Eagles picked up their first lead with 5:55 left in the third quarter to lead 27-26.
The quarter went on to end with W.S. Neal leading 36-34 heading into the final quarter of play. In the quarter, W.S. Neal built a 43-25 lead with 5:02 left to play, but had their lead cut to 43-41with 3:53 left in the game.
With a 48-44 lead after two points from Tra Dixon at the 2:17 mark, the Eagles only points the remainder of the game came on free throws.
The Eagles were 3-for-13 down that stretch of time as Red Level cut the lead to 49-48 with 18 seconds left to play after hitting one of two free throws.
Jeremy Nicholson put W.S. Neal ahead 50-48 with his one of two free throws and Red Level picked up the rebound and called a timeout with 10 seconds left to play.
A missed 3-pointer and another rebound for the Tigers gave them one last shot for the win, but it missed and W.S. Neal hung on for the two-point win.
But besides all that, Phillips said he was happy with a win.
W.S. Neal trailed 14-7 after the first quarter and 24-20 at the half after a 13-10 advantage in the quarter.
In the third, W.S. Neal outscored Red Level 16-10 to hold a 36-34 lead. Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter as W.S. Neal won 50-48.
W.S. Neal was 6-for-18 from the free throw line in the game.
Bob Elliott led W.S. Neal with 22 points and Nicholson had seven points. Dixon had six points and Jeremy Alexander had five along with Sam Ewing.
Colby McCorvey added four points in the win and Monterrius Culliver had one.