South Lamar downs Bulldogs in semifinals
Photo by Bart Moss
Belgreen’s Jacob Mayberry drives for a layup. Mayberry scored 19 points in the final game of the season for the Bulldogs
By Bart Moss for the FCT
The Belgreen Bulldogs couldn’t overcome late shooting woes and turnovers as they fell to the South Lamar Stallions 87-73 in the semifinals of the Northwest Regionals. The loss brought an end to a stellar season for the Bulldogs.
“This was a tough one,” said Belgreen Coach Clint Isbell. “We came here and we fought hard. I thought we played well. We just didn’t have an answer for their inside game.”
The inside game Isbell was referring to was that of Malik Cox. Cox, a 6’5”, 305-pound center, was a force inside all night long for the Stallions, scoring 22 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking three shots.
“They also had three guards who put a lot of pressure on us from the start,” said Isbell. The Bulldogs turned the ball over 26 times in the game.
Even in the loss, Isbell was proud of his team’s fight and effort.
“We have some great young men,” said Isbell. “I am proud to be a part of this team and this school. This loss hurts, but I know what kind of men these guys are. They will pick themselves up and get back in the gym and get ready to make a run next year.”
The Bulldogs (22-9) will return the bulk of their team next year.
“Hopefully we’ve laid the foundation,” said Jacob Mayberry. “This just gave us a taste of what we want and makes us want it even more. It definitely hurts, but hopefully it will just make us better and make us work even harder.”
Adam Green got the Bulldogs on the board with an early three-pointer. Belgreen’s big man, Mason Bragwell, stepped outside the three-point arc and drained a three to give the Bulldogs a 10-8 lead. That shot started an 8-3 run that would give Belgreen an 18-11 lead. South Lamar battled back late in the first going on a 7-0 run and evening the score at 18-18.
Two three-pointers by Brant Bragwell to start the second quarter helped the Bulldogs back out to ten-point lead, 28-18. Belgreen extended the lead to 35-27 on two free throws by Bragwell with 2:17 to go in the first half. The Stallions would again fight back, pulling to within one point of the Bulldogs, 35-34, with 00:34 seconds to go in the half. Once again Bragwell stopped South Lamar’s momentum with a two-point basket just before the end of the half to give Belgreen a 37-34 lead at halftime.
Belgreen shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half but made 15 turnovers and got out rebounded by the Stallions.
South Lamar took the lead on the first two possessions in the second half, 38-37. Belgreen regained the lead 39-38 on a layup by Jacob Mayberry with 6:42 to go in the third quarter. Mayberry nailed a three the next possession down the court for Belgreen to give the Bulldogs a 42-38 lead. Mason Bragwell hit his second three-pointer of the game to give the Bulldogs a 46-40 lead with 5:02 to go in the third. South Lamar cut Belgreen’s lead to one point, 50-49, but Mason Bragwell would hit two straight shots to give the Bulldogs a 54-49 lead. South Lamar tied the game with 00:18 to go in the third quarter, 58-58.
After a Belgreen turnover to start the fourth quarter, the Stallions went the distance to hit a layup to take a 60-58 lead. Belgreen retook the lead 63-62 after another three-pointer by Mason Bragwell and a layup by Jacob Mayberry. After a series of lead changes, the Stallions went on a 9-2 run to take a 71-65 lead over the Bulldogs with four and a half minutes to play in the game. South Lamar extended the lead to 83-73 on a three-pointer by Carson Lindsey with 1:05 to go in the game. Belgreen, struggling to hit shots down the stretch, couldn’t mount the late comeback.
Mason Bragwell led Belgreen with 22 points. Jacob Mayberry’s aggressiveness getting to the basket netted him 19 points. Brant Bragwell scored 13 points, all in the first half. Adam Green added ten points. Eli Hiser had five points. Payton Scott and Grayson Moore scored two points each.
The Bulldogs shot 51 percent from the field on the night and 53 percent from behind the three-point line. The Bulldogs got beat on the boards, getting outrebounded by South Lamar 37-24.
