-
Calera Lady Bulldog Carlaysia Brown and Rock Creek Lady Mustang Brooke Crenshaw are shown in last week’s game at Rock Creek. Kevin Farr | For the Democrat -
Rock Creek Mustang Blake Barrett is about to shoot the ball in last week’s home game with Calera. Kevin Farr | For the Democrat
BOKCHITO – Although each team took a bit to shake off the rust of more than a two-week game layoff, Calera girls and Rock Creek boys pulled away for Bryan County Conference wins to begin the second semester last week.
Calera trailed midway through the opening frame of the opener before erupting for a massive run on the way to a 5829 girls triumph over the Lady Mustangs.
In the boys’ contest it was the visiting Bulldogs that held the lead through three stanzas but Rock Creek tallied a late surge to record the 40-34 victory.
Girls
Rock Creek rode the hot hand of Maddie Williams to an early 7-5 edge but went ice cold offensively while the Lady Bulldogs put together a decisive 21-0 flurry that capitalized largely on 10 Rock Creek turnovers.
Carlaysia Brown pumped in seven points and Emma Daniel turned in three steals for layups to make it 20-7 Calera after the first frame. The Lady Bulldogs then added the first six points of the second quarter until Brooke Crenshaw’s three pointer ended the massive Rock Creek drought.
It was a 34-15 advantage at intermission before Calera poured it on with a 14-2 scoring push in the third period.
Daniel poured in 15 points in the first half and wrapped up with a team-high 17 to pace three players in double digits for Calera. Brown contributed 16 and Macy Strahan drained three treys on the way to 11.
Taylynn Conder chipped in five while leading the charge on the boards. Chloe Owings posted four, Jesslyn O’Dell had three with Amariah McLaughlin also tossing in two.
Williams was the lone Rock Creek player to reach double figures with 15 points. Macey Weger tossed in five, Crenshaw had three as Morgan Bryant, Meagan Davis and Laynie Knight all finished with two points.
Boys
As the hosts sputtered out of the gate, Calera managed to find its offensive rhythm over the final minutes of the opening period as Devin Brown notched six points and Eason Humphers scored five to grab a 15-6 cushion heading to the second.
Led by Blake Barrett, Rock Creek reeled off the first seven points of the next frame to close the gap. Logan Bumgarner tossed in a key trey late in the half however to stake the Bulldogs to a 22-15 lead at the half.
Scoring was tough for both squads in the third quarter with a Brown three pointer the lone Calera points in the frame while Rock Creek was tossing in seven to narrow the margin to 25-22.
That Mustang run continued into the fourth as Colby Hopkins’ conventional three-point play with seven minutes to go finally put Rock Creek in front. Shooting struggles however continued, especially at the free throw line, in the final quarter as the lead see-sawed back and forth.
Brown’s jumper with 2:13 remaining put Calera on top 34-32 but proved to be the final Bulldog points as they committed four turnovers and missed three field goal tries down the stretch.
The hosts found the range at the charity stripe in the final minute, sinking eight straight free throws as Hopkins nailed four of those to tie it and ultimately give Rock Creek the lead for good.
Barrett tallied a team-leading 13 points with Hopkins contributing nine. They also got seven from Zaiden Craige, six by J.T. Talley and five from Anthony Nichols.
Brown paced all scorers with 18 in fueling Calera offensively. Humphers posted seven, Bumgarner had five and Devan Walton scored four.