Caddo sizzles nets in sweep of Calera

CADDO – A rematch of a thrilling Bryan County Tournament championship game turned into a Caddo rout Monday night as the Lady Bruins avenged that tournament defeat in a 51-25 victory over Calera for the conference regular season crown.

The Caddo win snapped an 18-game winning streak for the Lady Bulldogs, who were playing a bit shorthanded due to injury as the Class A second-ranked Lady Bruins improved to 19-3 heading into the playoffs later this week.

It was all Bruins in the nightcap as the defending state champs rolled to a 70-44 triumph while making it a clean sweep of Bryan County Tournament and conference crowns.

Girls

Caddo wasted little time in making an emphatic early statement with senior Kadey McKay scoring the first five points of the game while igniting an 11-0 burst less than four minutes into the game.

Amariah McLaughlin’s bucket in the paint with 4:18 left in the quarter finally ended the Calera scoring drought before Rylan Peevyhouse immediately sank her second three pointer of the period to give the Lady Bruins a double figure lead they never relinquished.

Caddo was in front 16-4 after one stanza and that advantage ballooned even more in the second frame with McKay, Jaycie Nichols, Jordyn Nichols and Kayden Prince all contributing points to make it a commanding 30-9 cushion at intermission.

The Lady Bruins hit 11 of 23 from the field (48 percent) before the break while Calera sank just four of 19 attempts (21 percent).

It was nearly a repeat performance in the third period with Caddo catching fire from the perimeter as McKay drained three treys with Peevyhouse and Ressa Dill each adding one to build a monster 47-14 edge. Six third quarter turnovers hurt the Calera cause as well in the frame as its only points came from an Emma Daniel three pointer and Kenzie Condor basket.

McKay posted a gamehigh 18 points as the lone Lady Bruin in double figures. Peevyhouse contributed nine, Jaycie Nichols had eight, Jordyn Nichols and Dill scored five apiece, Prince notched four and Brilee Tyson added two as Caddo ended with 10 three pointers.

Calera picked up six each from McLaughlin and Chloe Owings. Macy Strahan, Chloe Damron and Daniel pitched in three each with Condor and Jesslyn O’Dell both tossing in two.

Boys

Senior Devin Brown scored the first six Calera points and put the Bulldogs in front 4-3 just over a minute into the game but that lead was shortlived as a Kale Brister bucket put Caddo ahead to stay.

The Bruins strung together a 13-0 flurry that put Caddo in command as Carson Culbreath was just starting to catch fire from the perimeter.

The senior sharpshooter drilled four straight three pointers and finished with a whopping seven in just over two quarters of action.

Scoring leader D.J. Dill found his perimeter shooting touch as well in the third stanza, sinking three more treys as he poured in 16 in that quarter alone on the way to scoring a game-high 24 points. For the game the Bruins blistered the nets for 12 three pointers.

Culbreath pitched in 21 points as Brister added nine, Rance Richardson had eight with Braden Tyson and Noah Bacon pumping in four apiece.

Brown was the lone double-digit scorer for Calera, finishing with 19 points. Logan Bumgarner and Lex Carlton scored eight each, Rance Lewellen had five and Talon Rose rounded out the scoring with four points.

Caddo Bruin Parker Bearden is shown in the game with Calera.