Bears represent the county well against reigning champs, lose at Tri-Cities 79-67

East Point- The second round of the state playoffs usually test a team’s mettle and for the Houston County Bears there could be no better and bigger test than playing a Sweet 16 game at defending state champion Tri-Cities Wednesday night. The home Bulldogs may have won the game 79-67, returning to the Elite 8 in the process, but the Bears, 14-14 overall, end the season having represented the county well. “I love these kids and would not trade them for the world,” said Bears head coach Don Hudson after the game. “I get every ounce from them and that’s all I can ask.”

The first couple minutes of the game were even more than Hudson could have hoped for as the Bears jumped out to a 6-0 lead following a three-pointer by senior Charles Brown, a jumper from senior Isaiah Harris and a free throw by senior DJ Williams. “We came out and started the game like we were supposed to,” said Hudson of the start. “We were making shots and playing good defense.” The Bears would remain in front 10-8 after a Bulldogs 5-0 run and a Williams put back basket. That would be the final Houston County lead for the remainder of the game as the Bulldogs, who were missing five-star prospect junior guard Peyton Daniels, who was serving the third of a four-game suspension, started making three-pointers at a near record pace. Leading 16-11 after the first quarter, Tri-Cities connected on five three-pointers during that time. If were keeping score that’s 15 of the 16 points from beyond the arc. “They made some adjustments and we we were slow on adjusting to their shooters and that’s a no-no against [Tri-Cities],” said Hudson. 

The Bulldogs wouldn’t make their first two-point basket until the 5:40 mark of the second quarter. Bulldogs junior guard Mario McIntosh made another three-pointer to put the Bulldogs up 23-14 and fellow junior guard Jackson Watson made another to put the Bulldogs ahead 28-16 with 3:30 remaining in the first half. Down on the road in the state playoffs, a home crowd cheering on the Bulldogs’ every move, the Bears didn’t fold, instead they got baskets from junior HB Morgan and senior Jakobe Nelson to keep their team close at 32-22 at halftime. “We play hard man,” reasoned Hudson, “and we will never quit, but they were just the better team tonight.”

Tri-Cities would be up by 19 points at the end of the third quarter, opening the period with a Demetrius Rives three-pointer, and ending it with a three-pointer at the buzzer from a junior varsity reserve brought off the bench to rest the starters. The shot brought Bulldogs fans off their feet and the Bulldogs players on the bench onto the court to rush the little used player. Rives, a junior starter, had a dunk that not only put the Bulldogs up 47-33 midway through the third quarter, but had an equally as impressive crowd reaction. 

Brown would be one of the most impressive players on court during the fourth quarter, making three three-pointers during that period. His 10 fourth quarter points helped the Bears pull within 11 points with just over three minutes remaining in the game. He also passed the 1,000 point mark during the game. Senior reserve Brantley Bush added four points during the quarter as did senior forward Dereck Cotton. Nelson, Harris and senior TJ Morgan, who is back from a major injury and came off the bench, Elijah Williams and Jamikel Searcy all contributed great efforts despite the final result. The senior class has nothing to hang their heads about in this night. The Bears represented the county and basketball program well.

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