Dogs Top #15 Dickson, Davis In Weekend Action; Girls Get A Win

In one of the toughest road games of the season, Sulphur used a stingy defense and kept their composure in the second half to knock off Dickson, Class 3A’s number 15 team.

The Dogs got a stellar performance from their big man, Colten Cole, and another strong scoring effort from Bridge Barrett to post a 53-45 win last Friday.

On Saturday, it was rivalry day as the Dogs headed to Davis where they faced a senior laden team. The Wolves already have 15 wins on the season, but Sulphur finally got their shots to fall in the second half to post a 46-35 victory.

Head Sulphur coach Grant Bates said Sulphur’s defense played a big part in both wins.

Sulphur 53, Dickson 45 Against Dickson, the lead changed hands numerous times in the first half, but the Dogs executed their second half adjustments and took control of the game.

“We were able to hang our hat on our defense,” Bates said of his team’s effort at Dickson.“I was also pleased with our ability to stay composed against a team with their style of play and come out of there with a win. We had a really big night by our 5-man, Colten Cole. He really owned the interior on the defensive end and made it difficult for Dickson’s athletic guards to finish around the rim or gain many second chance rebounds.

Bridge Barrett, Sulphur’s scoring leader this season, came through again with a big scoring effort, pumping in 25 points. Devin Willis also was in double digits with 13. Cole had a stellar night on the boards with 13 with Barrett chipping in with 8. Other stat leaders included Willis with 2 steals and Cole with 3 blocks.

Sulphur 46, Davis 35

Although the Dogs got off to a slow start at Davis last Saturday, scoring only 18 points in the first half, they used a big second half to secure the win, 46-35.

Bates said Davis was a very talented and senior-laden team and are ranked in Class 2A just outside the top 20.

“It was a typical environment with great crowds on both sides,” he said. “We got off to a slow start on the offensive end, only scoring 6 in the first quarter and 18 in the entire first half (well below our season average). Our shots just weren’t falling. I thought we were getting good looks and our execution was there. We just needed to see a couple more go in.”

In the third quarter, the Dogs unleashed some of their potential and scored 14 while holding Davis to 6, then outdistanced the Wolves in the final quarter, 14-11, to secure the win.

“ It was another good defensive performance by our guys holding Davis to just 35 points total on the nigh,” said Bates.“I was pleased with our performance as a group and the grittiness we showed after halftime.”

Barrett had another stellar evening in scoring with 24, followed by Wills 11. Other stat leaders included Barrett with 8 rebounds, Willis with 2 steals and Cole with 3 blocks.

Sulphur 41, Dickson 34 (girls)

Sulphur’s Lady Bulldogs came through with a much needed win at Dickson with Jayden Lee and Jordyn Johnston leading the charge with 22 and 15 points respectively.

The Lady Dogs got off to a hot start, scoring 28 points in the first half, but went cold in the second half. Head coach Chad Walker said the team kept battling and found a way to win, with effort and toughness being the difference.

Sulphur 30, Davis 65

Against Davis, the girls bolted out with a strong first quarter and were only down a couple of points to a really good Davis team, but could only muster one point in the second quarter and that proved too much to overcome.

Hailey Beesley led the girls in scoring with 8 with Lee chipping in 7.

Davis proved too strong down the stretch however, posting a 65-30 win.

Walker praised Beesley for her tough play in the paint and the team’s overall effort.

“I appreciate the girls efforts even in unsuccessful games,” said Walker. “They play hard, want to learn the game, and seem eager to improve.”