The Bradwell Tigers improve to 12-5 overall and 4-3 in 3-AAAAA region with an 81-67 victory over the Beach High Bulldogs Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs took a one-point lead in the first minutes of the first quarter but quickly saw that slip away to an seven point deficit by half time (22-15).
The Tigers came out with more intensity in the second half and built a 16-point lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Brandon Hayes would hit five three-point shots and end the night with 23 points before being taken out in the fourth quarter with an injury to his mouth, requiring stitches. While the injury appeared minor his return for tonight's game against the Groves Rebels was uncertain.
"I guess I can smile a bit," Tiger coach Pete Woodard said. "I saw some good things and I was pleased with our man-to-man coverage in the second half."
Woodard said the Tigers went to a man defense earlier than they normally do when they saw the Bulldogs were capable of putting up baskets.
"They started the game kind of sluggish but they came out in the second half with a lot of intensity and upped the tempo. The man defense looked a lot better. We told them before the game if there was ever a game to make some noise about, this was the game to do it and evidently they stepped up and accepted the challenge. They played the way I know they can play."
The opponents agreed.
"We gave them too many open lay-ups and we had some poor rotations," Bulldogs coach Richard Ellington said. "We have to work more as a team. We had too much individualism on the court and we let them kill us with lay-ups and put backs."
Woodard and the Tigers play the Groves Rebels Friday night. The Rebels handed the Tigers their first region loss in December and Woodard hopes the Tigers remember how they were treated on the Rebels' home court.
"They come here now and I'm sure the guys, with the competitive spirit that they have right now, will be motivated enough. I'm sure I don't need to remind them of their last loss to Groves," he said.
Tip-off against Groves is at 8.
Scoring
Brandon Hayes, 23 (5 three-point shots)
Jarvis Wadsworth, 19
Robert Sims, 15
Jordan Johnson, 7
Tony Coston, 6
Dominique Everett, 5
Daniel Materne, 3
Nathaniel Gooding, 2
Kentrell Hargorve, 1
The Bulldogs took a one-point lead in the first minutes of the first quarter but quickly saw that slip away to an seven point deficit by half time (22-15).
The Tigers came out with more intensity in the second half and built a 16-point lead with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Brandon Hayes would hit five three-point shots and end the night with 23 points before being taken out in the fourth quarter with an injury to his mouth, requiring stitches. While the injury appeared minor his return for tonight's game against the Groves Rebels was uncertain.
"I guess I can smile a bit," Tiger coach Pete Woodard said. "I saw some good things and I was pleased with our man-to-man coverage in the second half."
Woodard said the Tigers went to a man defense earlier than they normally do when they saw the Bulldogs were capable of putting up baskets.
"They started the game kind of sluggish but they came out in the second half with a lot of intensity and upped the tempo. The man defense looked a lot better. We told them before the game if there was ever a game to make some noise about, this was the game to do it and evidently they stepped up and accepted the challenge. They played the way I know they can play."
The opponents agreed.
"We gave them too many open lay-ups and we had some poor rotations," Bulldogs coach Richard Ellington said. "We have to work more as a team. We had too much individualism on the court and we let them kill us with lay-ups and put backs."
Woodard and the Tigers play the Groves Rebels Friday night. The Rebels handed the Tigers their first region loss in December and Woodard hopes the Tigers remember how they were treated on the Rebels' home court.
"They come here now and I'm sure the guys, with the competitive spirit that they have right now, will be motivated enough. I'm sure I don't need to remind them of their last loss to Groves," he said.
Tip-off against Groves is at 8.
Scoring
Brandon Hayes, 23 (5 three-point shots)
Jarvis Wadsworth, 19
Robert Sims, 15
Jordan Johnson, 7
Tony Coston, 6
Dominique Everett, 5
Daniel Materne, 3
Nathaniel Gooding, 2
Kentrell Hargorve, 1