Earle runs away in overtime, downs Marked Tree, 72-63

Earle runs away in overtime, downs Marked Tree, 72-63

Bulldogs pull away from Indians in extra quarter

sports@theeveningtimes.com

The Earle Bulldogs boys' basketball (3-1 overall, 2-0 conference) team earned a hard-fought overtime victory earlier this week, defeating the Marked Tree Indians (1-1, 0-1) 72-63 at home on Monday.

The Bulldogs were outscored 28-20 by the Indians in an explosive fourth quarter which ended on a buzzer-beater by the Indians to send the game into overtime. However, the Bulldogs bounced back in overtime by going on a 12-3 run to win the game.

A change of defensive scheme allowed the Bulldogs to outplay the Indians in overtime, according to Bulldogs Head Coach Billy Murray.

“We switched from a 1-31 to a man-to-man style defense in overtime,” Murray said. “The man-toman defense really shut them down and denied them the ball. Nobody could get a shot off.”

After going on a 29-17 run during the second and third quarters, the Bulldogs lost the lead in the fourth quarter which the Bulldogs relaxed in, according to Murray. However, in the process of fighting back to win the game, the Earle head coach saw a lot positive attributes in his team.

“A win against a rival like Marked Tree so early this season really tells me how good we could be,” Murray said. “Marked Tree came in with a good game plan and played a 1-2-2 defense, which East Poinsett County beat us with, but the players picked it up. I think my players got a lot of maturity during that game.”

Colby Malone and Nick Andrews led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

Trayvius Brown also contributed 13 points, nine of which came from threepoint range. Markel Perry-Washington played a key role in the game by snagging 12 rebounds, distributing eight assists and coming away with five steals to go along with his six points.

The Bulldogs 72 points in the game earlier this week make for a total of 164 points the Bulldogs have scored in the last two games. The recent offensive explosion is a result of the team's depth, according to Murray, which keeps players from getting tired and playing deeper into games.

Riding a 3-game winning streak, Murray believes fans can expect similar play from his team throughout the rest of the season.

“I think we bring a lot of excitement to the fans and will continue our winning tradition,” Murray said.

“I'd say there's about an 80 percent chance we win in any game. I think we'll be there in the state tournament at the end of the year. If another team wants the championship, they will have to go through here to get it.”

By Collins Peeples