ADDISON, Ala. — Addison hosted the Lindsay Lane Lions for a pair of varsity matchups Thursday night, looking for revenge for a pair of close losses earlier in the year. The Lady Bulldogs won the opener in a back-and-forth contest, 53-49. The boys won the nightcap, going away 65-29
Addison 53 – Lindsay Lane 49 (varsity girls)
The Lady Bulldogs are playing well as of late and seem to be hitting their stride at the right moment. Head Coach Bailey West led her Lady Dawgs against the Lady Lions from up around Athens and were looking for payback. Neither team could hit the broad side of a barn in the first frame and it really had nothing to do with the other team’s defense. Both teams were very cold as the Lady Lions led 11-06 at the end of the first. The Lady Lions were led by current and future star Sophomore Lindsay Murr who did a little bit of everything on this night. Miss Murr is only about 5″7″ but has excellent timing on her block shot attempts and with her long arms plays about 6’6″. Murr and Senior Madeline Dizon carried the scoring for the Lady Lions the entire night.
At the end of the first half, Lindsay Lane led Addison 24-18. Addison was led by their all-star sophomore, Gracie “Bug” Manley. Manley had eight points and six boards in the first half. Addison’s Anna Grace “The Glove” Luker, who has a scowl that would scare a pit-bull, had five points and two steals.
The second half started, and it seemed like just a regular Addison Lady Bulldog game. Addison’s down big and then, “Katy bar the door”, here comes the Dawgs with pressing in your face defense and girls diving all over the place for loose balls. Addison took their first lead at 28-27 with four minutes to go in the third period. The Lady Dawg run was keyed by Hadley “Shooter” Butler draining back-to-back three pointers. The Lady Dawgs went on a 14-4 run to take a 9-point lead into the fourth and final period, 40-31.
Lindsay Lane wasn’t ready to give in and led by their two-star players, Murr and Dizon they roared back. The Lady Lions outscored the Lady Dawgs 18-13 in the final period, but Addison held on to come away with a sweet 53-49 victory. “Magic” Molly Gilbreath with 16 second half points and Manley with nine points led the Dawgs in the second half. Butler nailed three more big threes with two coming in the pivotal fourth period.
Lindsay Lane was led by Murr and her game high 23 points, nine boards, five steals and seven blocked shots. Dizon had 18 points and four steals.
Addison was led by Manley with 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Gilbreath had 17 points, six boards, three assists and three steals. Butler had 12 points, four boards and two steals. Addyson Smothers had 11 rebounds with nine of them in the second half. Bracey “Tiny” Rodgers pulled in five boards and Lydia “Barbie” Ergle had four boards. Luker had a solid five points, two boards, two assists and three steals.
It was a total team effort on the Lady Dawgs end and they got a big revenge win. Manley said after the game, “We didn’t play that well, but it was nice to be able to come out of with a win even though we can play better. I mean a win is a win. I love getting rebounds and that is my number one priority when I play a game, go and get the ball. It is just more fun.”
Addison will play at Falkville in the first round of the Area Tournament on Tuesday. The Lady Dawgs lost a both games to the Lady Devils this season by a grand total of nine points.
Addison – 65 Lindsay Lane 25 (varsity boys)
Addison was looking to avenge a 3-point loss to the Lindsay Lane Lions earlier in the season and boy did they. Addison came out and completely dominated the Lions from start to finish. The Lions could get nothing working on offense and the Dawgs domination of the glass, 33-17, kept the Lions with only one shot per possession. Addison’s trademark man to man defense was enough to drive the Lions crazy as they could get no open looks and constantly were shooting the ball with hands in their face and bodies all around them. Addison outscored the Lions 14-7 in the first and it would only get worse.
Addison was led by Logan “Baby Shaq” Wilkins and Cannon “TNT” Hiller in the first half. Wilkins driving to the lane and laying it up and in. Hiller bombing from outside the three-point line. Addison had Quentin “Fabio” Barley and Christian “Ice Man” Roberts controlling the glass. The Dawgs absolutely snuffed the life out of the Lions in the second period outscoring them 23-7 to take a commanding 37-14 lead at the half.
The Lions were no match for the Dawgs on this evening, though they never gave up. They were led by sophomore Max Morrison and Junior Kendrick Watkins who had five points apiece in the first half.
The second half began and if the Lions thought a comeback was in the cards tonight, they were living in fantasy land. Addison continued to play smothering suffocating defense and sent wave after wave of defenders at the Lions. Addison played two complete sets of five men and would swap them out five at a time. There was no drop off in play from the first set to the second. Addison won the period 21-11 and led 58-25 going into the fourth period.
You would think that the defense couldn’t get any better, but you would be wrong. Addison tightened the screws and the Lions only scored four points in the final period while the Bulldogs scored seven, there was a running clock. The final score was Addison 65, Lindsay Lane 29.
Lindsay Lane was led by Morrison with 10 points and five boards. Cook had five points and three boards. Watkins had five points and two boards.
Addison was led by Wilkins with 14 points and six boards. Hiller had 12 points. Roberts had 11 points and four boards. “Fabio” Barley had nine points and nine boards. Eli “Curly” Howse had a nice all-around game of six points, three boards and four assists. Brady “Stick” Gilbreath had six points. Xavier “Smooth” Barley had four points and four boards. Jessie “Rooster” Brock had three points and two assists while Justin “Rocky” Mather had six rebounds.
After the game, Head Coach Ben Mastin, “This was a total team effort. I was so very pleased with our defensive intensity. We have had a great couple of practices the past couple of days. We shot the ball well tonight, hitting our open looks and dominating the glass. Can’t say it enough, but this team wins with defense. The guys have bought in and they are seeing the results of all the hard work that we have put it this year.”
Addison will host Double Springs in the first round of the Area Tournament on Wednesday. The Bulldogs have won all three games, two of them close, with the yellow jackets this season.
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