Bobcats outlast Wilson for tourney win

By Staff
Scot Beard
MUSCLE SHOALS – Phil Campbell has squared off against some of Northwest Alabama's best high school basketball teams at the Times Daily Classic before, but until Monday night the Bobcats did not know what it felt like to win a game in the tournament.
Phil Campbell pulled away late to win a back-and-forth game against Wilson 59-56.
"It was a good win for the kids," Phil Campbell coach Darit Riddle said.
Phil Campbell led 9-6 at the end of the first quarter, but Wilson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to take the lead early in the second quarter.
Matt Waid answered for the Bobcats with a trey of his own. He then hit a pair of free throws and another 3-pointer to put Phil Campbell ahead 17-12.
Wilson rallied to tie the game 24-24 with a few seconds remaining in the half, but Jordan Benford hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Bobcats a 26-24 lead at halftime.
Riddle said he told his team at halftime they would have to be more aggressive on defense if they wanted a chance to win the game. Early in the third quarter, it looked as though the Bobcats had forgotten what he said.
Wilson opened the second half with a 7-1 run to take a six-point lead. The Bobcats responded by scoring the game's next nine points to move ahead 36-33.
Wilson reclaimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, but could not build a sizable advantage. Both squads traded the lead for several minutes until Austin Nix scored for the Bobcats and Bailey Welborn hit a pair of free throws to give Phil Campbell a 52-49 lead.
The Warriors then hit a free throw and added a basket to tie the game.
Waid again took control for Phil Campbell by hitting a 3-pointer and adding another basket to put the Bobcats ahead 57-52. A pair of Wilson scores cut the lead to 57-56, but Waid hit a pair of free throws to extend the Bobcats' advantage.
Wilson tried a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it fell short.
"We knew he would be the one shooting the three," Riddle said. "We just tried to zero in on him."
Waid led the Bobcats with 17 points while Lawrence Butts added 16.
Also scoring for Phil Campbell were Benford (8), Welborn (6), Nix (5), Landon Hutcheson (4) and Seth Brown (3).
With the win the Bobcats advanced to the second round to face Muscle Shoals Tuesday. That game was ended too late to be included in today's edition of The Franklin County Times.