Sara Reid — Special to the Weakley County Pres
Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:54 am

Boxing-out drills are repeated in practice for a special reason and this past Friday night the Bradford Red Devils were reminded of this.
With 6.4 seconds left in their game against the Gleason Bulldogs and clinging to a one-point lead, the home team saw Gleason’s Colin Bennett miss two free throws. The Devils failed to box out Bulldog Zach Wallace, who grabbed the offensive board and stuck it back to give Gleason the 49-48 victory as time expired.
The Bradford girls ensured a split by downing the visiting Lady Bulldogs 38-27.
Although both teams got off to a slow start offensively in the boys game, Bradford took an early lead. Wallace knocked down a 3-pointer to take back the lead for the visitors and Bennett put the finishing touches on the advantage with six points. After one, Gleason held on to an 11-8 advantage.
Bennett continued his scoring streak in the second and ballooned the Gleason lead to seven points midway through the quarter, but the Red Devils came back to life and cut the lead to just a bucket, 22-20. A shot from Ben Rollins just before the buzzer gave the Bulldogs the 24-20 edge at the half.
In the third, Jesse Childress opened by hitting a pair of free throws. Bennett scored Gleason’s first three points, but Bradford kept the pace and took the lead on two straight layups from D’Marquis Wells. Gleason entered the bonus and both teams traded leads, but when the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter, the Bulldogs remained up by a deuce, 35-33.
The Bulldogs increased the lead to five with 45.9 seconds remaining in the game, but saw the advantage deteriorate to two on a Childress trifecta. Jamal Wilson continued the Bradford fireworks with a steal and a 3-point play to snatch the lead back for the Red Devils, 48-47. On the next possession for Gleason, however, Bennett was fouled, came up short on the free throws and Wallace put back the rebound to steal the win.
Bennett was high scorer for Gleason with 33 points. Jeremy Harris led Bradford with 14.
In the earlier contest, the Lady Bulldogs failed to capitalize on the front end of three one-and-one opportunities in the second quarter and dropped the game, 38-27.
Sarah Combs opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and Molly Wallsmith added a free throw to get Bradford off to a 4-0 start. Jenna Frazier put up Gleason’s first points of the night and added another two points on a pair of free throws. At the end of one, Bradford led 9-6.
Gleason entered the bonus in the second quarter. Both teams struggled from the field, but the Lady Bulldogs’ failed to make good on three opportunities in the bonus at the charity stripe, and Bradford built the lead to eight, 16-8. Kim Edenfield and Maggie Lowrance put up two points each for Gleason and the visitors trailed 18-10 at the half.
In the third, the Lady Bulldogs scored the first four points and pulled to within four, 18-14, but Bradford scored the next four points and increased the lead back to eight. Lowrance hit a three and the Lady Bulldogs outscored the home team 7-6 for the quarter, but still trailed 24-17 after three.
The Lady Bulldogs cut the lead to five halfway through the final quarter, but Bradford connected on six of eight from the charity stripe, scored 14 points to Gleason’s 10 and took the 38-27 win to sweep the season series.
Wallsmith led Bradford with 13 points. Lowrance put up seven for the Lady Bulldogs.

Jan. 23 at Bradford
GIRLS
Gleason (27) — Maggie Lowrance 7, Kim Edenfield 6, Sara Hensley 4, Jenna Frazier 4, Ashley Coble 2, Taylor Stout 2, Camille Cooper 2.
Bradford (38) — Molly Wallsmith 13, Jasmine Morgan 8, Sarah Combs 6, Breanna Tubbs 4, Erica Oliver 4, Jackilann Street 3.
3-pointers: Gleason — Lowrance; Bradford — Wallsmith, Combs.
Records: Gleason 13-7 (7-6 District 14-A), Bradford ( District 14-A).

BOYS
Gleason (49) — Colin Bennett 33, Zach Wallace 7, Ben Rollins 6, Preston Frazier 2, Evan Orr 1.
Bradford (48) — Jeremy Harris 14, D’Marquis Wells 9, Alex Steele 8, Jesse Childress 7, Jamell Williams 4, Jamal Wilson 4, Colby Roberson 2.
3-pointers: Gleason — ; Bennett, Wallace; Bradford — Childress, Harris.
Records: Gleason 6-14 (3-10 District 14-A), Bradford ( District 14-A).