LaFayette hangs with Opelika, but falls short of win
Published 11:04 pm Tuesday, December 17, 2024
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The LaFayette Bulldogs took on the Opelika Bulldogs on Tuesday night at home. While LaFayette hung with the big, 11-2, dogs, they fell short of an upset.
Opelika controlled the first frame, with the action being contained to LaFayette’s side. The Bulldogs had some quick breaks and kept alongside the visitors. However, some turnovers and miscues put Opelika up 15-6 after the first quarter.
The only two scores of the quarter came by way of Jordan Johnson off two three-pointers.
It was much of the same in the second quarter, with LaFayette often giving away possession. The visiting Bulldogs extended the lead to 31-13 at the half. Opelika capitalized on free throws throughout the game, going 10 for 16 on Tuesday.
The tide turned, however, in the second half. Opelika struggled to get inside and LaFayette zeroed in on the ball, coming away with multiple breakaways. Offensively, they showed toughness under the basket and accuracy behind the three-point line.
With less than a minute in the quarter, the Bulldogs added two quick threes to close the gap 44-33 going into the final frame. LaFayette outscored Opelika 35 to 27 in the second half.
Both teams seemed to light up in the final quarter. While Opelika only scored five points in the run-of-play, they were clutch from the free throw line, going 4 for 4. Both teams seemed to sharpen on both sides of the ball. While the Bulldogs made a run at a comeback, Opelika held on. The final score was 58-48.
Johnson had a fantastic night offensively with the game-high 18 points. Cameron Thomas and Kemare Harrington tallied eight a piece. But the wealth was spread, with seven players getting on the board.
The Bulldogs will play one more game before the holiday break. They return to action on Thursday away at Wadley. The tip-off is at 4:30.
The LaFayettes boys JV team also lost to Opelika’s B-team on Tuesday night. While the offense struggled to make things happen, Kel Carlisle had a productive night. He scored 12 of LaFayette’s 26 points of the night.
LaBryant Story and Adrian Strickland both put five points on the board, including the only three-pointers for the squad. Ryan Ross had four points.
