Bulldogs unleash fourth quarter of fury to tame Panthers

The Belgreen Bulldogs roared back from a halftime deficit to defeat the Hackleburg Panthers 62-52 in a hard-fought battle.

The game started close with Belgreen holding a slim 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Hackleburg surged ahead in the second, outscoring the Bulldogs 15-7 to take a 27-21 lead into halftime.

Facing a six-point deficit, Belgreen came out firing in the third quarter. They put up 21 points while holding Hackleburg to 15, erasing the lead and tying the game at 42-42 heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Bulldogs. They dominated both ends of the court, outscoring the Panthers 20-10 to secure the victory.

Jack Dill and Jonathan Mendoza led the Belgreen charge, each scoring 18 points. Braycen Johnson also contributed significantly with 14 points. Hunter Woodruff added 5, while Aaron Rubido chipped in with 3. Gabe Estrada and Rush Berryman each scored 2 points to round out the Bulldogs scoring.

The team’s balanced scoring attack and strong defensive effort in the second half proved to be the difference-maker.

Belgreen 66, Cherokee 55 Braycen Johnson scored 22 points to lead Belgreen past the Cherokee Indians 66-55.

Cherokee opened up a 19-11 first-quarter lead, but Belgreen dominated the second quarter to take a 30-25 halftime lead. Belgreen extended its lead to 50-37 at the end of the third quarter.

Hunter Woodruff and Jonathan Mendoza followed Johnson scoring 17 points and 12 points, respectively. Jake Dill added 9 points and Rush Berryman had 2 points.