By By Adam Robinson
sports editor
In a game that saw the W.S. Neal varsity Eagle basketball team have only 15 points after three quarters of play, W.S. Neal lost their first area game of the season. In a home game Monday the Eagles lost 53-38 to the UMS-Wright Bulldogs.
The loss dropped the Eagles to 4-3 overall and to 0-1 in area play.
W.S. Neal had only two points after the first quarter, 10 points at the half, and 15 points heading into the fourth quarter.
While the Eagles struggled on offense, UMS-Wright led 11-2 after the first quarter and 23-10 at the half.
After three quarters of play, the Bulldogs led 37-15.
W.S. Neal head coach Chuck Phillips noticed the offensive struggles for his team in the area game against UMS-Wright, but said his team is playing hard and will continue to work and get better at practice for their next games.
Phillips said he believes the team is playing hard and gave everything they had to give to the game Monday night.
UMS-Wright jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game, but Jeremy Nicholson cut the lead to 4-2 with 5:27 left in the first quarter.
The points for the Eagles were the lone points as UMS-Wright went on to lead by nine at the end of the quarter. UMS used a 10-0 run over the first quarter and second quarter to lead 14-2 with 7:28 left before the half.
Rashad Crook ended the Bulldog run at the 7:11 mark to cut the lead to 14-3.
Crook would help the Eagles cut the lead to 15-5 and Monterrius Culliver scored two points to cut the Bulldog lead to 15-7 with 5:33.
With the lead cut to 17-8 at the 3:44 mark, UMS went on a 6-0 run to lead by 13 at the half with a score of 23-10.
The Eagle offense struggled again in the third quarter scoring only five points while UMS went on a 12-0 run to lead by as many as 24 points and by 22 at the end of the third quarter with a 37-15 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Eagle offense began to get hot as they jumped out to a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 13 points at 37-24.
W.S. Neal would outscore the Bulldogs 23-16 in the final quarter of the game.
UMS was 9-for-22 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to put the Eagles ahead. The Eagles lost by 15 points.
T.J. Davis and Monterrius Culliver led the Eagles with six points each and Sam Ewing, Jeremy Nicholson, and Rashad Crook had five points each.
Bob Elliott had four points and Jeremy Alexander had three points.
Tra Dixon added two in the loss along with Colby McCorvey.
W.S. Neal will be back in action Thursday when they travel to take on J.U. Blacksher.
W.S. Neal defeated Excel in the first game of the 2009-2010 season at home in East Brewton.
Game time is set for both games at 7:30 p.m. after the B-team and girls’ games.
The Eagles will take on Northview at home Tuesday, Dec. 8.