Sierra Easterwood
CULLMAN – The Cullman Bearcats took on the Red Raiders of Decatur Tuesday night, and as most expected, the boys game started fast, ended fast and was non-stop action. Decatur took an early 7-2 lead less than two minutes into the contest but Cullman hung tough and clawed back thanks to the play of Trey Tucker, Drew Morton and Dylan Finch. After one fast quarter of play, Cullman held a slim 16-14 lead.
Decatur answered immediately on the back of a three by Tyrique Purvis. Jayden Sullins answered right back and it was on. Cullman led by as many as four in the quarter while Decatur’s biggest lead was three before Finch drained a bucket in the waning seconds of the half to send Cullman to the break down just a point, 31-30.
The Red Raiders started the third red hot, rattling off nine straight to take a 10-point lead. Noah Bussman, Will Franey and Tucker kept the game close by combining for 15 points in the quarter but trailed by six heading to the final frame.
Tucker and Bussman combined for a trifecta of threes in the fourth but unfortunately for the Cats, they never got closer than five, falling to Decatur 67-58.
Decatur 66, Cullman 63 (Girls)
Cullman started out strong with great play from Sierra Easterwood who scored the first eight for the Lady Cats. Decatur kept the game close with a pair of buckets in the paint and a three from deep in the corner. The Lady Red Raiders managed to take a four-point lead but it was erased by a 12-2 Cullman run that was capped by a late Anna-Kate Eastman three to give the Lady Cats a 17-11 lead after one.
Decatur looked like a different team to start the second quarter, scoring six straight to tie the game before Easterwood scored Cullman’s first points of the second. Decatur scored eight more before Cullman found the stroke they had in the first, closing the gap to three, but Decatur opened the lead back up in the last two minutes of the half and took a 29-24 lead to the locker room at the half.
Coming out of the break Decatur stayed hot and extended their lead to nine. Cullman matched the Lady Red Raiders shot for shot down the stretch and finished the quarter strong with four unanswered from Eastman and Easterwood to cut the Cullman deficit to just six going into the fourth.
Eastman, along with Victoria Barker, quickly pulled Cullman to within a single point with five unanswered. Cullman had the chance to take the lead with a pair of free throws at the 5:15 mark but missed and the game remained tied. The two teams went back and forth for most of the quarter. Down by one with 36.9 left to play, Easterwood hit the back end of a pair of free throws that sent the game into overtime.
Easterwood took over in OT for Cullman, dropping six of the Lady Cats’ eight points. Decatur kept pace and took a one-point lead with less than a minute to play. Once again it came down to free throws and once again it was Easterwood who knocked down 1 of 2 to send the game to a second overtime. But two costly turnovers converted to points doomed the Lady Cats, who fought hard but fell to Decatur 66-63.
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