A (hopefully) brief look back at the Friday that was
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Opelika’s Jacoby Payne had 26 points and 13 boards, Tay Calloway had 18, and Morris Lockhart had a very key stretch of 11 points in the third quarter on his way to 12 for the game against Russell County on Friday.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is the No. 3 Bulldogs just about gave away their 71-68 win by shooting 12-of-31 from the free-throw line.
Central won’t be so forgiving Monday. The No. 9 Red Devils beat up on poor, poor Smiths Station again, 94-49, with all 13 of their players scoring, Antonio King putting in 17, Darren Daniel scoring 16, and Jonathan Curry adding 15.
Opelika and Central face off for the fourth time this season Monday at 7.
Here are some other scores:
Auburn High takes care of bidness against Benjamin Russell: It was close(ish) in the first half, but a 19-2 run in the second helped separate the Tigers in a 69-34 win. Jason Webb scored 13 for Auburn, which will face Wetumpka in the 6A-8 finals at 7 Monday.
Valley’s still really good: Shocker. The Rams beat Beauregard, 78-47, behind 31 points from that Teon Jones character. Where have I heard that name before? Valley, the No. 6 team in 5A, will play BTW in the 5A-6 finals at 6:30 Monday.
Beulah’s Cinderella run ends in OT at the hands of Dadeville: The Bobcats turned from a 6-19 team into a 13-8 one in one season, but could not advance to their first sub-regional in six years in a 64-59 overtime loss to Dadeville. Justin Harper scored 26 and Jordan Wimberly added 21 to end his Beulah career with 1,014 points. Harper also made the game-winning basket in regulation just a split-second too late. C’est la vie. Adam Clark led the Tigers with 17, and they will face host LaFayette in the 3A-7 finals Monday at 7. Dadeville and LaFayette will also play in the girls final at 5:30.
Lanett’s moving on: The Panthers beat Horseshoe Bend, 76-61, behind 19 from Keo Brooks and 17 from Ahmad Jackson. They’ll play Clay County in the 2A-8 finals Monday at 5:30.
Edward Bell, Poka ... x4 The No. 4 and No. 10 teams in 1A are making like Central and Opelika and playing for the fourth time this season. Loachapoka beat Notasugla, 51-42, after being tied going into the fourth, and Edward Bell didn’t have much trouble at all from the beginning of its 76-59 win over Verbena. Quindravious Richardson done took over for the Indians, scoring 15 of his game-high 23 in the fourth, and Damien Carr didn’t have to for the Bears, netting 12 on six shots while Armis Holloway scored 17. The two play Monday at 6:30. Edward Bell has won the previous three meetings by 7, 18 and 21 points.
Lee-Scott’s boys region champs. Lee-Scott’s girls ... not so fast: It’s a reversal of last year, where the girls walked in the region finals and the boys fell. This time around, Tucker Carl’s 17 points paced the No. 3 boys to a 67-57 win over Macon-East, while Melissa Maddox’s 15 points and the team’s 27 percent shooting weren’t enough in a 48-37 loss to Pike Liberal Arts. The Warriors’ girls are 1-2 against the Patriots this season, and the two will most likely meet again in the Final Four, where they met last year. That one ended in a 42-36 Lee-Scott win on its way to the state title. Drama!!!
