Belgreen varsity basketball teams sweep Covenant Christian in area doubleheader

The Belgreen High School varsity girls’ and boys’ basketball teams grabbed home area wins on Tuesday night, sweeping the visiting Covenant Christian Eagles to improve their respective standings in Class 2A Area 14.

The BHS girls routed the Lady Eagles to start the evening at the Belgreen gymnasium, winning 56-25 to improve to 12-6 overall and a perfect 3-0 in area play.

The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Eagles battled to a 13-10 scoreline at the end of the first period, but the hosts began to pull away in the second, outscoring Covenant Christian 12-4 to take an 11-point lead into the halftime break.

In the second half Belgreen continued increasing its advantage, finishing strong with a 17-point fourth quarter to secure the 31-point win.

Belgreen senior Makenna Fisher, who surpassed the 1,000 career points mark in Belgreen’s previous game against Phil Campbell, recorded her best scoring game of the season, dropping a campaign-best 24 points in the win. Fisher, averaging a team-best 11.8 points per game this season, scored 14 of her team’s 25 first-half points.

Lilliana Willingham also scored in the double figures with 13 points.

In the nightcap, Belgreen’s boys also picked up a valuable Area 14 victory, squeezing by Covenant Christian 44-39.

A low-scoring first period, which saw just six points scored between the two teams, transitioned to a more enjoyable product in the second quarter. The Bulldogs and Eagles battled basket for basket in the second, but it was the hosts that were able to claim the narrow 18-16 advantage going into the locker room at the half.

Coming out of the break, in the third quarter, Covenant Christian, scoring 19 points to Belgreen’s 14, were able to erase the deficit and take a three-point lead going into the final eight minutes of regulation.

But in the fourth, it was Belgreen’s turn to make a run. The Bulldogs did not allow Covenant’s top scorer, Derek Darby, who finished with a game-high 17 points, to score in the fourth, and Belgreen was able to hold the Eagles to just four points.

While shutting down Covenant’s best shooter, Belgreen saw its top player, senior Braycen Johnson, an All-State selection from a year ago—“the difference maker,” BHS head coach Will Bonner called him—make his impact known in the final eight minutes.

Johnson, making his return from a broken arm suffered earlier in the campaign, played just 15 minutes for the Bulldogs, but those 15 minutes were very productive ones. In the fourth quarter, he scored nine of Belgreen’s 12 points, hitting a jumper, a three-pointer, and nailing all four of his free throw attempts, ultimately propelling BHS to the five-point win.

Johnson would finish the contest with a team-high 14 points in his return. Jake Dill, who knocked down three threes in the game, finished with 13 points for the Bulldogs.

With the win, Belgreen’s boys improved to 7-9 overall and 2-1 in the area.

Both BHS squads are set to return to action on Friday, January 9 when they travel to rival Tharptown for another area contest.