By Staff
Nick Johnston, Hartselle Enquirer
FLORETTE – At first, fans may have thought if your name wasn't Keith or Samuel, you weren't going to score.
Keith Rodgers and Samuel Massey, both juniors for the Hartselle Tigers, combined to score the first 17 points Friday night, as Hartselle beat Brewer 55-46.
Rodgers and Massey both scored 18 points in the win, as Rodgers pulled down 12 rebounds.
The Lady Tigers, however, lost two games this past week, falling to 1-3 with losses at Decatur and Brewer.
Hartselle 55, Brewer 46
Rodgers scored the first nine points before Massey scored the next eight, giving Hartselle, who is 2-1 with and 1-0 with the Area 15 win, a 17-14 lead early in the second quarter.
The Tigers eventually led 19-14 before the Patriots mounted a rally and took the lead. Wes Graham, Dustin Scott, David Champion and Matt Cobbs all scored during a 8-2 run. The Patriots' pressure kept Hartselle off-balance during the rally.
"They're press really hurt us," head coach Johnny Berry said. "That surprised me, because I thought our guards would handle it a little better than they did."
Hartselle re-gained the lead for good late in the half and led 25-22 at halftime.
Hartselle led by as many as 13 in the second half.
Scott led Brewer with 12 points, while Eric Norwood had eight for Hartselle
Brewer 77, Hartselle 51
Girls
Jessica Thompson scored 21 and Whitney Childers scored 20 as Brewer beat Hartselle.
"We couldn't get out on their shooters," Hartselle head coach Greg Adams said. "There was just too many to cover.
"They're a senior dominated team, and we started two freshman. That made a big difference."
Hartselle's undoing came in the third quarter, getting outscored 26-9. With Lauren Drake on the bench in foul trouble, the Lady Patriots were able to dominate inside and out.
Brewer began the second half with a 12-3 run and never looked back.
Shan Jones led Hartselle with 26 points and was the only Lady Tiger who finished in double figures. Jessica Andrews had six, while Drake, Britney Jackson, Jessica Lindsey and Tiffahne Orr all had four points.
Decatur 51, Hartselle 42
Girls (Last Tuesday)
The Lady Tigers squandered a nine-point lead in the third quarter and fell to rival Decatur.
Leading 34-25, Hartselle began to struggle with the Lady Red Raiders' full-court press. The Lady Tigers turned it over four consecutive times, and Decatur reeled off nine straight points to knot the contest at 34-all.
Hartselle led by two heading into the fourth quarter, but turnovers continued. For the game, Hartselle had 27 miscues.
"We just had too many turnovers," Adams said. "We played well, though, and should've beat them. The young kids played well."
Lindsey led the way with 13 points, while Andrews and Drake both had nine.
Lady Tigers' leading scorer Shan Jones was held scoreless.