RHS boys complete regular season sweep of area opponents with win over Lawrence County
The Russellville varsity basketball boys and girls are nearing the end of the regular season. Both teams wrapped up regular season area play with home games versus Lawrence County after hosting non-area opponent Haleyville earlier in the past week.
BOYS
Russellville finished the area portion of the regular season schedule unbeaten at 6-0 with an 89-80 win over the Lawrence County Red Devils Jan. 27. The Golden Tigers have now won six of their past seven games to improve to 14-9 on the season.
RHS finished the first quarter with a 20-14 lead and held a 48-28 advantage at the half. After three quarters, Russellville was up 73-48.
Ten Golden Tigers scored in the game, with EJ King leading the way with 20 points.
Four additional players tallied double figures: KJ Murray with 15, Malachi Duncan with 12, Amir Williams with 11 and Gavin Hyde with 10.
Mike Young added eight. Jah Williams and Conner Warhurst had five apiece. EJ Jones scored two, and Malachi Gholston added one.
Jan. 24, Russellville defeated the Haleyville Lions by a 73-61 final score. The Golden Tigers held a slim 30-29 halftime lead before outscoring the opponent 22-16 in the third period and 21-16 in the fourth.
Amir Williams led RHS with 19 points. Duncan had 15, Bralynn Vincent scored 13, and King added 11.
Also scoring for Russellville were Murray with nine and Young, Hyde and Warhurst with two points each.
Drake James led Haleyville with 24 points.
GIRLS
Russellville and Lawrence County went to overtime for the second time this season – and also for the second time, the Lady Devils got the hard-fought win.
LCHS got the 69-65 victory at Russellville in a game that was a spirited battle between the teams.
After trailing 34-27 at the half, Russellville (9-14, 1-5) put together a 21-13 third quarter to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
Lawrence County played a large portion of the fourth period and all of overtime without their head coach after he was ejected.
A two-point basket by LCHS put the Lady Devils up 59-56 late in the fourth quarter, and with 29.5 seconds left on the clock, Avery Watts hit a three-pointer to even the score. Both teams then had an opportunity to win before overtime but couldn’t convert the chances into points.
The overtime period went Lawrence County’s way by a 10-6 score, though RHS was up 62-61 at one moment.
Russellville was led by eighth-grader Ella Copeland’s 30 points. Watts had 11, and Anna Beth Oliver scored 10. Jenna Whitfield and Jacey Moore had six each, and Laila Hill scored two.
Earlier in the week the Lady Golden Tigers had gotten a 62-24 win over Haleyville. Russellville led 33-19 at the half and 46-22 after three quarters.
Watts led RHS with 19 points. She was followed by Ella Copeland with 11, Whitfield with nine, Laila Hill with six, Jacey Moore and Desiree Medina with five each, Jemma Moore with three and Aleah Bonman and Kylee Phifer with two apiece.
