Eagles dominant in sweep of Houston County

As members of the Wilson family sported shirts honoring both Houston County High and Northside, the night clearly belonged to Eagles basketball.

On Friday, both the Eagles boys and Lady Eagles won Region 2-AAAAA hardwood home games against the Bears by 40-plus margins.

The win for Scott Wynn’s boys team was the sixth in a row 68-26, and they welcomed back big Brandon Sandifer for the first time. He did not play during the Bear Brawl nor the Mary Persons High Holiday Classic, the latter won by the Eagles.

Houston County’s Amari Colbert was not in uniform. His absence was certainly felt, for the Bears did not get a field goal until 5:39 of the second quarter.

Starting center Jailen Haslem received an assist down low for the first scoring of the game, and then Jaylen Sandifer slammed in a turnover. Haslem’s second touch, however, resulted in an offensive foul, so he went to the bench for the bigger Sandifer.

Later in the quarter, Marquaevious Williams put back a missed foul shot. Treyvon Willis made steal only to have the ball stolen by Houston’s Cornelius Lawhorn. But the Bears lost possession, and B. Sandifer was in position to get the old-fashioned three-point play. Guard Darrin Clark scored from a quick ensuing steal.

Late in the quarter – in the last 15 seconds – Willis had two steals for five points. He beat the buzzer on a 3 for 22-1.

Houston misfired from all ranges and couldn’t even capitalize on defensive breaks like when Savion Fambro broke up a lob to B. Sandifer and Dorian Anderson stopped a breakaway by Northside. Haslem picked off a second offensive foul at 1:11.

That didn’t stop Northside as Williams, in the second quarter, slammed a lob by Devonta Willis. D. Willis also sank a 3. Kolbey Singleton scored Houston’s first basket on a jumper in the lane, but it was then 31-3. Guard Jayon Golds made it two in a row on the offensive boards.

D. Willis ended the half with two scores plus a steal. In the last minute, the Bears got their third field goal, this from Javier Johnson. It was 41-8 at the half.

It took more than four minutes into the third for action to pick up, and it was Fambro with the first strike on a slam. D. Willis, who was the top scorer with 14 points, answered with a 3. It was 53-22 going into the fourth.

The girls contest represented the first mother-daughter coaching matchup of Northside’s Casaundra and Houston’s first-year boss Sadie. The players for the mom’s side scored the first 11 en route to a rout, 73-25. The Lady Eagles dominated not just in scoring, but in rebounding and causing turnovers on defense.

Northside had steals from Mekhaela Witherspoon, Alexia Galloway and Sunshine Walton in the opening run. Even Jaliyah Lynch, in reserve, stole an inbound pass with Walton cleaning up the missed shot. Casaundra’s bench had players knocking down the mid-range jumpers in between the first Houston field goal, that from Autumn Ring at 2:30.

Deasia West of Houston blocked two shots late, but her team trailed by 10 15-5 going into the second. Naiasia Cole, taking on the double-teaming pressure, gave the visiting team the first points of the second. That was followed, however, by the home team’s 12-0 spurt. The steals came from Tamara Fann, Witherspoon and Galloway, and back-up forward Monica Beard scored 2 putting back a free throw.

Cole stopped that run sinking a 3 at 2:54, but her team was down 27-10. Further exhibiting the Lady Eagle depth, Tamia Sapp checked in for the first time and highlighted a 9-0 run with four points and an offensive board. Northside led 38-11at the half, Witherspoon both ended the first and beginning the second with stick-back points.

During the second half, Galloway scored twice from steals, Tikarra Benoit scored from the put-back and steal, and Fann assisted 2 for Walton. Gallawoy led everyone with 16 points while Walton scored 13 and Benoit 12.

Ring finished with 13 points for the Lady Bears.

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