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The annual “Showdown in M-Town” is officially in books after three contests between cross town rivals Monticello and Drew Central held this season at Monticello’s Billie Arena.
Taking the floor first this year would be the Junior Pirates and the Junior Billies with the Junior Pirates taking the opening tip and getting on the board first on a free throw by Drew Central’s Bernard Pitts, who connected one of two from the line.
The Junior Pirates would take a 5-0 lead after scores by Will Morgan and Cam Sanders before Monticello called a timeout.
Monticello would get on the board with 4:03 remaining in the first quarter after Jonathan Barefield connected on one of two from the line.
Morgan would add two with Monticello’s Dawson Loyd adding two points to cut the Junior Pirate lead to 7-3.
The Junior Pirates would go on to take the first quarter 14-5.
The Junior Pirates continued to outscore the Junior Billies in the second quarter, taking the quarter 13-6 to hold a 27-11 lead at the half.
The Junior Billies would have their best quarter of the contest in the third quarter, outscoring the Junior Pirates 16-12, to trail the Junior Pirates 39-27 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Junior Pirates would come back to take the fourth quarter 14-12 to give Drew Central a 1-0 advantage in the battle for M-town by a score of 53-49.
Drew Central would have three players in double-digits with Bernard Pitts with 14, Ashton Govan with 13, and Cam Sanders with 11.
Isaac Mason added five, Will Morgan with four, and Courtland Hampton, Levi Fulmer, and EJ Lucas with two each.
For the Junior Billies, DJ Ammons scored 13, Cade McCann with 10, Adonis Gardner and Jonathan Barefield with four, Sam Fakouri and Mason Johnson with three, and Dawson Loyd with two.
The Lady Pirates and Lady Billies were next to take the court with the Lady Billies controlling the opening tip but the Lady Pirates would get on the board first with two points by KZ Gipson.
Anniyah Smith would get Monticello on the board with two to tie the contest.
The teams would go back and forth with Monticello holding an 8-4 lead with 3:49 remaining in the quarter and would go on to lead the Lady Pirates 14-12 at the end of the first.
The Lady Pirates would take over in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Billies 21-10 in the quarter to take a 33-24 lead into the locker room at the break.
The momentum would swing back in the favor of the Lady Billies in the third quarter behind Janiyah Goodman’s seven third quarter points to cut the Lady Pirate lead to four point, 43-39, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Pirates would come back to outscore the Lady Billies in the fourth quarter to secure the “Showdown in M-Town” trophy for Drew Central with a six point, 56-50, victory to put Drew Central up 2-0 in the best two out of three series.
For Drew Central, KZ Gipson led the way with 15 points, Chlow Anderson with 14, and Amari Lucas with 14.
Alexis Woods and Caroline McRae scored five with Samari Youngblood with four.
For Monticello, Janiyah Goodman led the way with 17, Niyyah Collins with 14, and Anniyah Smith with 12.
Zariyah Gaston scored four, Chynna Daniels with two, and Sariyah McCoy rounding out the scoring with one.
With the trophy secure, the Pirates and Billies would take the floor to finish out the night's contests.
Monticello would get on the board first to start the contest on a three by Peyton Strickland, but the Pirates would score the next five points to take a 5-3 lead.
The Pirates would go on to lead 13-10 at the end of the first.
Both teams would score 14 points in the second quarter with the Pirates maintaining their three-point lead, 27-24, at the half.
The Pirates would extend their lead to five at the conclusion of the third quarter, outscoring the Billies 14-12 to take a 41-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, both teams would produce their best scoring performances of the contest with both teams weach scoring 20 points.
The Pirates would maintain their five point lead at the end of regulation, defeating the Billies and giving the Pirates the “Showdown” sweep 61-56.
Blake Chandler led the way for the Pirates with 26 followed by Tre’Bennett Fuller with 25.
Zae Bullard added five, Alex Pitts with three. and Jeremiah Bodiford with two.
Christian Webb scored 23 for the Billies followed by Peyton Strickland with nine, Gavin Trotter and Grantlyn Laudell with seven, Sawyer Smith with five, Jordan McDaniel with three, and Nathan Robertson adding two.
