Red Bay takes gritty 59-57 OT win
It was an action-packed stretch of local basketball, highlighted by a defensive grind that went to the wire, a dominant secondhalf performance, and a blowout victory led by a career-high scoring effort.
(OT) Red Bay 59, Colbert County 57 Fresh off their dominant run to the Franklin County tournament championship last week, the Red Bay Tigers kept their momentum alive with a gritty 59-57 overtime victory over Colbert County.
Red Bay appeared to be in total control early, racing out to a 19-7 lead in the first quarter and maintaining a comfortable margin through the first half. However, Colbert County mounted a furious comeback, exploding for 22 points in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit and force the extra period.
In overtime, Red Bay’s composure proved to be the difference. Bryant Harris came up clutch when it mattered most, hitting a critical threepointer and sinking two high-pressure free throws to help the Tigers outscore Colbert County 7-6 in the final minutes.
The Tigers’ offensive effort was led by a powerful duo in Jaxson Vinson and Khalil Luster. Vinson set the tone early, scoring 14 of his game-high 21 points in the first half and adding three more crucial points in overtime. Luster was equally instrumental, finishing with 20 points, 11 of which came during a heated fourth quarter as he tried to hold off the Colbert County surge.
Bryant Harris finished with 13 points, including two three-pointers in the first quarter to help build the early lead and his pivotal three-pointer overtime. Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers were Davo Colburn with three points and Landyn Lewey with two.
Belgreen 61, Haleyville 49 Belgreen bounced back with a decisive 12-point win over Haleyville, fueled by a massive second- half performance. The game was tight early with the Bulldogs leading by just four at the half,. They pulled away by outscoring Haleyville 33–29 across the final two frames.
Jake Dill was the standout, exploding for a gamehigh 24 points, including a staggering 21 in the second half. Dill’s aggression paid off at the charity stripe, where he finished 12 for 15. He was supported by Braycen Johnson, who scored 14 points behind four three-pointers. Jonathan Mendoza contributed nine points to the win, while Rush Berryman and Chris Bentley each added four. The scoring was rounded out by Gabe Estrada and Aaron Rubido, who finished with three points apiece.
Rogers 44, Belgreen 43 (OT) In a defensive slugfest that required an extra period, the Belgreen Bulldogs fell just short against the Rogers Pirates. After Rogers opened with an 11-6 lead in the first, Belgreen surged back with 16 points in the second and 15 in the third.
However, the Bulldogs’ offense went cold in the fourth, scoring only six points to allow Rogers to force overtime. In the extra period, Belgreen was held scoreless, and a lone free throw by the Pirates proved to be the winning margin.
The Bulldogs’ effort was led by Berryman and Dill, who both finished with 10 points. Berryman provided a late spark with six of his points coming in the fourth quarter.
Johnson added nine points on three secondquarter triples, followed by Mendoza with seven, Rubido with four, and Bentley with three.
Phil Campbell 79, Shoals Christian 40 The Phil Campbell Bobcats put on an offensive clinic in a 39-point rout of Shoals Christian. The Bobcats never let up, scoring at least 17 points in every quarter, while their defense stifled Shoals Christian to just five points in the final period.
Hagen Raper stole the show with a career-high 20 points, leading a balanced Bobcats attack. Austin Elliott followed closely with 17 points.
The scoring depth continued with Brady Williams and Miles Duboise, who each chipped in nine points. Madden Welch added seven, Kamoni Savage scored five, Bailey Nix had four, Hayston Scott finished with three, and Chandler Benford tallied two to complete the comprehensive team victory.
