Red Bay sweeps Lamar County
It was a great night for the Red Bay Tigers as both the varsity boys and girls basketball teams handled business with authority, securing a clean sweep over the visiting Lamar County Bulldogs in a pair of crucial area matchups.
The Red Bay boys used a relentless offensive attack to pull away from Lamar County, finishing with a commanding 70-50 victory. The Tigers set the tone defensively in the opening frame, stifling the Bulldogs and holding them to just four points while jumping out to an early nine-point lead.
Khalil Luster spearheaded the Tigers offense all night, finishing with a game-high 20 points. Luster was particularly dangerous in the second quarter, where he dropped eight points to help Red Bay maintain its momentum heading into the half.
The Bulldogs attempted to stay within striking distance, but the Tigers had an answer for every run. In the third quarter, Jaxson Vinson took over, scoring eight of his 14 points to keep Red Bay in control. However, the knockout blow came in the fourth quarter from the perimeter. Bryant Harris, who finished with 12 points, caught fire from deep, draining three threepointers in the final period to put the game out of reach.
The Tigers also saw a major spark from Conner Nichols, who provided eight quick points in the second quarter, including two shots from behind the arc. Davo Colburn (7), Dalton Lewey (6), and Landyn Lewey (3) rounded out a balanced scoring effort that saw Red Bay score 21 points in the final frame to seal the 20-point win.
In the opening game of the night, the Red Bay Lady Tigers used a consistent scoring effort across all four quarters to handle the Lady Bulldogs 53-40.
Red Bay wasted no time establishing a cushion, doubling up Lamar County in the first half. A 14-4 run in the first quarter provided the breathing room the Lady Tigers needed, and they never looked back. The offense was the model of consistency, scoring 14, 15, 13, and 14 points respectively through the four periods.
Kallyn Lindley led the way for the Lady Tigers, navigating the Bulldogs defense for a team-high 14 points. She was joined in double figures by DaRilee Colburn, who finished with 10 points.
The Lady Tigers’ depth proved to be the difference maker, as six other players found the scoresheet to keep the pressure on Lamar County. Julianna Eaton narrowly missed double digits with nine points, while Kamryn Kuykendall added eight. Other contributors included Gracie Edgmon (5), Libby Thorne (4), McKenna Wooten (2), and Heather Beal (1).
Despite a late 17-point surge by Lamar County in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers’ defensive work in the third, where they held the Bulldogs to just seven points, ensured the victory was never in doubt.