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The Briarwood Buccaneers defeated the visiting Piedmont Academy Cougars, 55-39, in basketball action Friday.
Briarwood got three points to take the early lead. Aggressive shooting and tenacious defense had Briarwood leading 18-3 at the end of the first period. Piedmont had a better showing in the second period, adding an additional 11 points while holding the Bucs to 7 points, and the score stood at 25-14 at the half.
“That first half was a bit of a whirlwind,” head coach Bo Fleming said after the game.
The half-time break seemed to benefit the Cougars, who fared much better in the third period, adding 17 points to the Bucs’ 12, and the score stood at 37-31 at the end of the third period. Briarwood returned to form in the fourth, however, and racked up
an impressive 18 points for the period.
The Bucs’ defense also stepped up and held Piedmont to only eight points for the fourth, and the score stood at 55-39 as the game drew to a close.
“The Cougars are a good team. They’re No. 2 in our region for a reason,” Fleming said.
“You’ve got to play as hard as you can against them. That’s our first win in four tries against them in two years, so we’re happy to get the win.”
Tyler Daniel was the leading scorer for the game with 16 points. Dalton Reese was second highest scorer with 12 points, and Ryan Pritchett totaled nine points for the game.
“It was a team effort tonight,” Pritchett said after the game.
“We all just did our parts tonight. We had different people step up at different times to let us get the win. I’ve been fortunate the last couple of games; it’s been coming to me, and sometimes that’s what you have to do, just let it come to you.”
Colt Phelps had seven points for the game, followed by Spencer Hadden with six. Taylor Coxwell had three points off a three-point shot, and Steven Parris rounded out the score with two points.
The Bucs then traveled to Central Fellowship on Saturday. The 40-38 loss dropped their record to 11-9.
The Bucs then returned home to face Brentwood Schools on Tuesday.
The Bucs’ next home game is Friday vs. Covenant Academy, immediately following the girls’ game, which starts at 6 p.m.
