Both North Forrest basketball teams started their region opening games against rival Perry Central with dominating first-half performances and strong offense from underclassmen. Not only was the Eagles offense hot for both Eagles teams, but the suffocating defense led the Lady Eagles to a 57-30 win while the boys took a 69-40 victory.
Lady Eagles set the tone early
North Forrest took a commanding 15-3 lead in the first period behind Ashlynn Mackabee's 13 first period points and never looked back as the Lady Eagles defeated the Lady Bulldogs 57-30.
Perry Central sophomore Jalashia Sumrall scored the lone basket on a three-point try with just over four minutes remaining in the first period in one that was dominated by the Lady Eagles.
The second period saw North Forrest outscore Perry Central 20-10 that included an 8-0 run to end the period as sophomore Kailyn Wilson scored six points and junior Amiriah Stubb's tacked on two points to give the Lady Eagles a 35-13 lead at the half.
The Lady Eagles defeated the Lady Bulldogs 57-30.
Scores from Destiny Harper, Kaitlyn Bowden, and Mackabee extended the Eagles lead to 53-21 at the end of the third period.
Perry Central's Carleshia Bolton scored nine points in the fourth and final period for the Lady Bulldogs but it was not enough as North Forrest drained out the clock to finish the game off.
What's Next
North Forrest moves to 9-4 overall and will participate in a Christmas tournament on the 21st. Perry Central falls to 0-12 on the season and will take on East Marion Thursday.
Hot start helps Eagles soar over Bulldogs
It did not take long for North Forrest to jump out to an early lead on Perry Central. An 11-0 run to start the game for the Eagles and a 23-5 run in the second period gave them enough of a cushion to cruise to their 69-40 region-opening win.
"The offensive production really started because if what we were able to do on the defensive end of things. Getting a lot of deflections, then into transition, led to easy points that got our confidence up. That propelled us to what we were able to do tonight," said North Forrest head coach Quenton Loving.
Tyrell Pollard scored four of the Eagles opening 11 points in the first period, giving them the early lead. Later in the first period, Jo Holloway scored his first of 25 points on the evening when he was fouled and went to the line to shoot for two. He went to the line four times in the period, gathering five of his seven first period points.
Holloway continued his scoring in the opening minutes of the second period, scoring seven more points as the Eagles took a commanding 24-11 lead.
"We expect a lot out of Jo. He's a leader for us. He's been a starter since the ninth grade so he brings a lot of experience. We put a lot of responsibility on him and he never fails to come through for us and tonight is another example of that," explained Loving.
Pollard also contributed to the Eagles scoring run as he two baskets, while Jaren Sullivan and Ahmad Roberts also drained baskets. The 23-5 run by North Forrest gave them a 42-21 lead heading into the halftime break.
North Forrest stepped up defensively again in the second half, allowing only 19 points from Perry Central to claim the 69-40 victory.
"I was proud of them. Being without a key returning starter tonight, we still moved the ball well. We played good defense, and we shot the ball well overall so I'm proud of the young men," said Loving.
What’s Next
North Forrest moves to 8-4 overall and will play South Jones next in their Christmas tournament. Perry Central slips to 2-11 overall and will host East Marion Thursday night.
