A record tying, defensive effort and a career high in scoring by an, up and coming, addition to the rotation paved the way for Weston to destroy Family Community Christian School (FCCS) 70-34 and begin the new year in fine style.
Playing for the first time in nearly a month and with a depleted roster, Weston equaled a season best, two game winning streak to improve to 6-9 on the season. FCCS, which hails from Winnsboro dropped their 16th consecutive contest as they continue to search for their first win of the year.
Weston took control early by racing out to a 17-8 first quarter lead. Five of the seven players who was available for the game scored led by six from Eli McBride and five from Tate Henderson, who led the Wolves in scoring with a career high 19 points. McBride finished with 17, Davis Tolar chipped in with 16 and Braden Theriot added eight. Six points from C.J. Stewart and Gage Albert’s season best four points rounded out the scoring. It was the defensive effort by the depleted roster that made the difference as Weston limited FCCS to just nine made baskets in the contest and tied a school record by not allowing a point to be scored in the final quarter.
WHS (6-9) 17 22 21 10 – 70
FCCS (0-16) 8 11 15 0 – 34
WHS scoring: Henderson 19, McBride 17, Tolar 16, Theriot 8, Stewart 6, Albert 4
FCCS scoring: Murray 14, Beeman 9, Robinson 5, Parker 4, Swillie 2
Jonesboro native Belton powers Ruston past Arcadia
Sharp shooting Ruston made 58% of their shots down low and an even better 61.5% from behind the arc to take the convincing 21 point victory over the previously unbeaten and second ranked team in Class A. The ninth win in ten games continued one of the Bearcats best start in school history and saddled Arcadia with their first loss after opening the season with five straight victories.
It was a close battle for three quarters with Ruston holding a narrow 47-44 lead before outscoring the Hornets 32-14 in the final frame to take control. Under the direction of head coach Ryan Bond, who had seen the Bearcats dominate the paint all game, Ruston focused on pounding the ball down low in the pivotal period culminating in 8 of 11 shots finding the nets.
The catalyst of the dominating inside effort that saw Ruston outrebound the Hornets by a 42-15 margin and outscore Arcadia 40-24 in the paint was Jonesboro native Rollin Belton who grabbed six boards and made 8 of 10 shorts shots for 18 points. Jamadrion Lillard also was strong in the paint with 10 boards, including four offensive rebounds and seven points.
Proving their versatility, Ruston showed tremendous marksmanship from behind the arc as well. Leading the way was Markel Jones, who made 5 of 7 bombs on his way to a team high 22 points and Joshua Dean, who canned three of four from behind the line, including two in the final frame, to finish with 15. Johntarious Thomas also chipped in with 11 points as the Bearcats had a season tying best, four players reach double digits in scoring.
Ja’Qualon Crane scored 22 and Daviauntre Fields added 20 on a combined 15 for 26 shooting performance to lead Arcadia. It was an uncharacteristic 6 of 21 team effort (23.8%) from the three point line that included clanking 2 for 11 in the fourth quarter when the Hornets needed it most, that destroyed any hopes of victory.
RHS (9-1) 11 17 19 32 – 78
AHS (5-1) 14 13 17 14 – 58
RHS leading scorers: Jones 22, Belton 18, Dean 14, Thomas 11, Lillard 7, Wilson 4
AHS leading scorers: Crane 22, Fields 20, Jefferson 7, Key Jr. 4
Saline boys shoot down Choudrant 67-48
Who said Algebra isn’t something that is used in everyday life? For those who aren’t familiar with the math discipline it is the multiplication of a variable with a number to find a solution. Just ask Saline head boys coach Klint Robinson if it is practical. He will not only confirm its viability but give you a pertinent example. Titus times two equals victory.
It was Saline’s Titus Malone and Titus Jackson that delivered 16 and 11 points respectively in the second half to break open a close game at the half and lift the Bobcats to a 67-48 road victory over Choudrant. With the victory Saline improves to 3-2 on the season while the Aggies fell to 6-3.
Early on it was a pair of long bombs by both Brandon Carter and Chris Williams that stake Choudrant to a 20-16 lead. Led by six points from Ethan Roberts and a trey each, from Blake Clifton and Kenton Lee Crawford, Saline cut the margin to 31-28 at the half setting the stage for the two Titus’s second half heroics.
Malone paced Saline’s balanced scoring attack with a game high, 19 points followed by 15 from Roberts and 14 by Jackson. Crawford added seven, Clifton six and Ryder Blanchard added four. Rafe Martin chipped in with a basket to round out the scoring. Sammy Smith led Choudrant with 14 and Williams added eleven. Four other Aggies also tallied with Trey Harris pitching in eight, Carter seven, Parker Butterton six and Lachlon Thompson five.
SHS (3-2) 16 12 19 20 – 67
CHS (6-3) 20 11 9 14 – 48
SHS scoring: Malone 18, Roberts 15, Jackson 14, Crawford 7, Clifton 6, Blanchard 4, Martin 2
CHS scoring: Smith 14, Williams 11, Harris 8, Carter 7, Parker 6, Thompson 5
Slow start dooms Lady Wolves
The rust from not playing a game since December 10th was simply too much to overcome as Weston struggled to score in the first half leading to a 61-47 loss that allowed Family Community Christian School (FCCS)to even the season series. The defeat dropped the Lady Wolves back to .500 on the season with a 7-7 record while FCCS won their sixth straight and improved to 12-3 on the year.
Weston managed to score only ten points in the first quarter to fall behind by 12 points. Then it got worse. Emma Kate McBride, who led the Lady Wolves in scoring with 18, tallied the only six points Weston scored in the second period that allowed FCCS to take a commanding 37-16 lead at the break.
Lainee Trosclair drained a pair of three’s and scored 8 while Mary Catherine Hay and Briley Peterson added 6 each. Lakerria Austin finished with five and both Sara Beth Bond and Faith Beamesderfer added a basket to round out the scoring.
WHS (7-7) 10 6 11 20 – 47
FCCS (12-3) 22 15 10 12 – 61
WHS scoring: McBride 18, Trosclair 8, Hay 6, Peterson 6, Austin 5, Beamesderfer 2
FCCS scoring: Parker 27, McCain 12, Thomas 8, Sepulvado 6, Evans 6, Banks 2
Choudrant girls slam Saline
The good news was that Saline had more players score than Choudrant and made five three pointers in the contest. The bad was that they made only five points more in the 49-21 loss to Choudrant this past Monday evening that marked the first time the Lady Bobcats have taken to the floor since December 3rd.
Georgia Robinson drained three of the five bombs and the only free throw that Saline managed to take team, high point honors with ten. Lindsay Macynsk and Alana Gray nailed a three pointer while Hannah Leggett, CeNada Weathers and Alaya Gray made a basket each as Saline fell to 0-4 on the season.
The defending, district 2B, co-champion Lady Aggies improved to 7-4 on the year despite the fact that four players scored all but two of their points. Those four all scored in double figures though with Kyler Miller tallied leading the way with sixteen. Aly Thomas was next with 11 followed by Katie Wiley and Gracie Duke who had ten each. Heather Murphy rounded out the scoring with a single basket.
SHS (0-4) 3 6 3 9 – 21
CHS (7-4) 8 14 16 11 – 49
SHS scoring: Robinson 10, Macynsk 3, Alana Gray 3, Alaya Gray 2, Weathers 2, Leggett 2
CHS scoring: Miller 16, Thomas 11, Wiley 10, Duke 10, Murphy 2