By Malik Gardner, PHS Sports

On November 9, 2013, the Prentiss High School Bulldogs started their 2013-2014 basketball season. The games were played against Lawrence County Cougars.

The girl’s game was very competitive from the start. After the first half, Prentiss was up by 6 points. The Cougars’ tried to make a late comeback but was denied by the lady Bulldogs’ defense. The game ended with the Lady Bulldogswinning 56-48. Joy Powell- 26 pts, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, Alexus Williams – 16 pts, 2 assists, 2 rebounds.

The boy’s game was extremely intense from the tip-off. The first quarter was kind of sloppy for both teams. There were a lot of turnovers and mistakes. The cougars were leading the game at halftime 31-27. The second half would be totally different for the bulldogs. Behind the defensive play of James Hawthorne and Donte Ford, the bulldogs had taken the lead. Going into the fourth, the atmosphere of the game greatly intensified. The teams went back and forth scoring buckets. The Bulldogs would pull the win out 56-50. Chauncey Baggett – 16 pts, 5 assists, 3 steals Nicholas Bourne – 13 pts, 4 steals.

On November 14, 2013, Prentiss played their second game. They played the North Forest Falcons in North Forest.

The girl’s game was fairly close from the start. In the first quarter, the game was tied at 8. The second proved to be a different game. Prentiss outscored North Forest 21-3 in the second quarter. The half ended with the score being 29-11. After halftime, the Lady Bulldogs were still hot. Joy Powell, junior point guard, accounted for most of the Lady Bulldogs points. The game would end 56-35 in favor of Prentiss. Joy Powell – 25 pts, 1 rebound, 4 steals                                                              Myyah West – 14 pts, 18 rebounds, 2 assists.

Coming off a close game against Lawrence County, the bulldogs were ready to get back on the court. The bulldogs got off to a quick start. Justice Reese scored 8 consecutive points. The falcons would not stay cold for long. Prentiss had 10 fouls in the first, which meant free throws for North Forest. In the second, the bulldogs stayed aggressive on defense forces turnovers and steals. Jessie Sands shot a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the quarter. This put Prentiss up 38-30 at the half. The Falcons came out in the third quarter and went on an 8-0 run to tie the game up. The game was very hype after a dunk from North Forest. The third ended with the game tied at 53. In the fourth, both teams were scoring effectively. Behind the play of Allen Fails, North Forest pulled away at the end and won the game 81-76. Donte Ford – 19 pts, 3 steals James Hawthorne  – 10 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks

Prentiss will be hosting a tournament on November 21-23. The teams participating: North Forest, Florence, Jefferson County and Prentiss. Come out and support the Bulldogs!