West Lincoln Bears surpass Franklin Co., Lady Bulldogs prevail

Published 11:52 am Tuesday, December 17, 2013

DAILY LEADER / MARTY ALBRIGHT / West Lincoln's Sam Bivens (32) battles in the paint for an easy basket as Franklin County's defenders Chris Boss (32) and Jerry Hannon (24) tries to disrupt the play Monday night at Franklin County.

DAILY LEADER / MARTY ALBRIGHT / West Lincoln’s Sam Bivens (32) battles in the paint for an easy basket as Franklin County’s defenders Chris Boss (32) and Jerry Hannon (24) tries to disrupt the play Monday night at Franklin County.

MEADVILLE – The Franklin County Lady Bulldogs and the West Lincoln Bears secured victories in high school basketball action Monday night in Franklin County’s gymnasium.

In the girls game, the Lady Bulldogs overcame a sluggish first quarter to thump the Lady Bears 48-28.

In boys action, the Bears battle through fatigue to capture a 60-47 win over Franklin County.

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West Lincoln continues action Friday as they prepare to welcome the Brookhaven Panthers and Lady Panthers to Jack Case Gymnasium for two games. The girls varsity game tips off at 6 p.m., followed by the boys.

Franklin County will enjoy a long break for the Holidays, before resuming action Jan. 7, 2014, to host the Amite County Trojans for three games starting at 5 p.m. with junior varsity action.

Franklin County 48, West Lincoln 28 

The Lady Bears and Lady Bulldogs battled in defensive contest in the first quarter as West Lincoln managed to claim an 8-7 advantage.

In the second quarter, Franklin County managed to overcome their sluggish start to blank the Lady Bears 12-0 and take a 19-8 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Lady Bulldogs continued to roll as they outscored the Lady Bears 29-20 to secured the win.

Tabayla Hunt was the offensive leader for the Lady Bulldogs (4-4) with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Jada Hunt and Danielle Washington contributed nine points apiece. Brianta O’Quinn paced Franklin County on the boards with nine rebounds.

“We got off to a slow start, but the girls managed to overcome their rust in the second quarter,” said Franklin County coach Ricky O’Quinn. “In the second half, we continued our fast paced tempo on defense and caused turnovers. I was pleased with our improvement on the free throw line and the girls effort.”

Alli Mullins was the top scorer for the Lady Bears (1-10) with nine rebounds. Heather Moak provided six points. Bentley Sills directed the Lady Bears on the boards with 10 rebounds.

West Lincoln 60, Franklin County 47 

The West Lincoln and Franklin County boys provided their basketball fans a tough, hard fought battle both offensively and defensively in the opening quarter as the score was tied at 13-all.

In the second quarter, the Bears (10-1) battled through their fatigue to outscored the Bulldogs 20-11 to claim a 33-24 lead at halftime.

In the second half, both teams continued their tough battle as Franklin County (0-7) threatened to rally back on several occasions but West Lincoln managed to hold off the Bulldogs’ rally to escape with the victory.

Senior center Sam Bivens pumped in a game-high double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Bivens also had six blocked shots in the game. Ronnie Edwards and Duane Marshall fueled the attack with 17 points apiece. Edwards had seven steals, three rebounds and three assists. Marshall helped with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

“We played pretty much dead leg throughout the whole game,” said West Lincoln coach Lane Young. “Franklin County played with a lot of energy and we did not match it. We were very fortunate to come away with the win.”

Dee White paced the Bulldogs offense with 11 points. Chris Robinson contributed eight points.

“The guys got off to a great start and fought hard,” said O’Quinn. “In the second quarter, we missed a few defensive assignments and West Lincoln made us pay for it with a big run before halftime. In the second half, the guys fought hard to comeback, but West Lincoln did a great job out rebounding to take away our second chance opportunities.”

In junior varsity boys action, the Franklin County Bulldogs clipped the West Lincoln Bears 50-49.

Kel Covington and Jalen Dogan were the top scorers for the Bulldogs with nine points apiece.

Jason Watts paced the Bears with a game-high 25 points. Zekenith Porter chipped in with 13 points.

DAILY LEADER / MARTY ALBRIGHT / West Lincoln's Alli Mullins (left) applies pressure on Franklin County guard Jada Hunt Monday night in basketball action.

DAILY LEADER / MARTY ALBRIGHT / West Lincoln’s Alli Mullins (left) applies pressure on Franklin County guard Jada Hunt Monday night in basketball action.