The Alexander City Outlook

Area champs: Bears, Rebels, Tigers

Another game, another Damien Carr star performance.

Edward Bell’s senior guard drilled eight 3-pointers and netted 28 points in his team’s 61-52 victory over Loachapoka in the Class 1A, Area 7 championship on Monday.

He helped break a close game open in the fourth quarter with three triples after Loachapoka’s Quindravius Richardson threw down a thunderous one-handed slam midway through the fourth quarter to tie the game at 42-all.

Carr responded immediately with a three from the corner.

The Indians cut the lead to two with less than three minutes to play, but Armis Holloway made a bucket down low, Carr drained another three and Cobe Bowens tipped in a miss free throw to give the Bears control.

Holloway put an exclamation point on the win with a dunk in the final minute. He closed with 13 points for EBHS, which will take on Faith Christian next Friday.

The Bears led 14-10 after the first quarter, trailed 26-25 at halftime and were on top 40-38 entering the fourth.

In the girls final, the Lady Bears squeezed out a close victory over the Lady Indians to be able to host next Thursday’s sub-regional game against Fayetteville.

Kierra Billingsley sank two free throws with 22 seconds to go to put the Lady Bears on top 50-47. After Loachapoka scored with 14 seconds remaining, EBHS faced two free throws with 10 seconds on the clock.

Though both shots were missed, Loachapoka fumbled the rebound out of bounds, and EBHS’ Caneshia Smith got two more shots. She made one of two, making the score 51-49.

With :01 showing on the scoreboard, Loachapoka’s Ebonii Williamson was fouled. She made the first shot, but, after a timeout, she could not convert the second, giving the Lady Bears a 51-50 win.

Tournament MVP Desharte Edwards scored 22 points to lead EBHS. Natalie Copleand made 9 of 11 free throws and finished with 15 points, while Billingsley added 11 for the Lady Bears.

Chantal Hall scored 28 for the Lady Indians in a losing cause.

Dadeville whips LaFayette

For the first time since the current format of playing the Final Four in Birmingham, the Dadeville Tigers will host a sub-regional game, as Rodney Taylor’s team downed LaFayette on the road 62-47 to take the Class 3A, Area 7 championship in easy fashion.

The Tigers, who led by as many as 21 in the second half, got a double-double from Kieran Sturdivant, as the junior forward scored 17 and pulled down 11 rebounds.

“We really played well all night,” Taylor said. “We controlled the boards, beat their press and got lay-ups off of it. We gave them a different look on defense, and it worked.

“We played a zone and made them play a halfcourt game,” Taylor said. “They weren’t able to get any fast-break points and we just kept stretching the lead.”

Terry Toler scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Dadeville, and Quin Alvies scored 12 and hauled in eight boards.

DHS hosts Trinity on Friday.

The Lady Tigers were on the wrong end of a 46-26 score in their game against LaFayette. After trailing by one at halftime, Dadeville could not stop the Lady Bulldogs in the second half and will have to travel to Montgomery Academy next Thursday.

Rae Williams scored 10 points and Yana Tolbert added six.

Reeltown rocks Highland Home

The Reeltown Rebels nailed 11 threes and beat Highland Home 64-48 to bring home their second straight 2A, Area 5 crown. They will host Clay County Friday.

Ki-shawn Powell poured in 18 points behind four threes to help the Rebels quickly extend a five-point halftime lead to double digits in the third quarter.

Jacorey Smith scored 15 points, Rodney O’Neal had 11 and Dara Riley scored eight for Reeltown.

HBHS girls fall to Lanett

After a close first half, the Horseshoe Bend Lady Generals were held without a field goal in the third quarter in the 2A, Area 8 championship game and lost to Lanett 64-50. HBHS will travel to Highland Home Thursday.

HBHS trailed only 33-28 to the Lady Panthers after two quarters, but Lanett outscored Mike Boyd’s club 19-3 in the third to pull away.

Brittney Keel was the only Lady General in double figures with 10. Jessica Harden and Ranley Clayton scored eight points each, and Katie Martin, Jessica Williams and Kaylee Jones added five points apiece.