Belgreen’s Brant Bragwell scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half on Friday night, helping the Bulldogs rally past Red Bay for a 56-53 win in their season opener.
The Tigers (0-2) came out hot, getting first-quarter threes from Clay Allison, Colton Corum and Gath Weatherford on their way to building an 18-13 lead. Weatherford, a junior post player, scored seven points in the second quarter, helping Red Bay take a 37-26 lead into the locker room.
Belgreen (1-0) clamped down defensively in the second half, holding the Tigers (0-2) to six field goals and out-scoring them 30-16 to avoid the upset. Bragwell scored six points in the third quarter and added five more in the fourth, finishing 4-for-5 from the foul line in the second half.
Mason Bragwell and Jacob Mayberry added 14 points apiece for the Bulldogs, who return their top three scorers from last year’s 22-win team. Payton Scott had seven points, and Seth Taylor added three. Belgreen struggled from the foul line as a team, shooting just 54 percent (19-for-35).
Allison, a transfer from Vina, finished with 16 points to lead Red Bay, which won only two games last season. Weatherford knocked down three threes and scored 15 points, and Corum added 11 points. The Tigers shot 14-for-22 from the line as a team.
Belgreen will host Carbon Hill on Monday before opening area play at Tharptown (1-2) on Tuesday night.
Varsity girls
Belgreen 55 Red Bay 53
Jasmine Martin scored 12 of her team-high 14 points in the third quarter on Friday, helping the Lady Bulldogs get by rival Red Bay in their season opener.
Belgreen (1-0) led 24-23 at the break behind eight points from sophomore Gracie Dempsey, and Martin then heated up following a scoreless first half. The senior guard buried a pair of third-quarter threes and went 4-for-4 from the foul line, helping the Lady Bulldogs out-score Red Bay 22-13 to open up a double-digit lead.
Savannah Shaw and Reagan Kuykendall sparked a Red Bay rally down the stretch with 14 combined points in the fourth quarter, but Belgreen escaped with its first win over the Lady Tigers since 2010.
Ansley Tate scored nine of her 13 points in the second half for the Lady Bulldogs, who shot 17-for-31 from the foul line as a team. Gracie Dempsey finished with nine points, and Katie Dempsey added eight. Emma Dempsey, Autumn Bragwell and Gabbie Moore each had three points, and Emma Willingham scored two.
Shaw and Kuykendall each had 13 points to lead Red Bay (0-2), and Carlie Lindley knocked down three threes finished with 12 points. Macy Faulkner scored seven, and Mallori Miller added six.
Belgreen will host Carbon Hill on Monday before traveling to Tharptown for its first area game on Tuesday.