DECATUR -- Players, coaches and fans from around Arkansas and southern Missouri flocked to Decatur to participate in the fifth annual Decatur Holiday Hoops Classic Tournament at Peterson Gym Nov. 27-30 and Dec. 2.
Boys' and girls' teams from Decatur, Bergman, Elkins, Life Way Christian, Mountainburg, Mulberry, and boys' teams from Exeter, Mo., and two-time tournament champion West Fork participated in this five-day event.
The host team, the Decatur Bulldogs, played its first game Nov. 28 facing the tough Mountainburg Dragons. In the end, the Dragons prevailed, overwhelming the Bulldogs, 71-38. With this defeat, Decatur advanced to the losers' bracket to meet the Life Way Christian Warriors.
The Warriors took control of the contest early, outscoring the Bulldogs 13-4 in the first quarter and 18-5 in the second, to take a 31-9 lead going into the break.
The Bulldogs' offense played more aggressively in the second half, keeping pace with the Warriors. But the damage had already been done earlier in the contest. Decatur was unable to recover and was eliminated from the tournament, 55-31.
In the final round of the girls' side Dec. 2, the Bergman Lady Panthers defeated the Mountainburg Lady Dragons, 71-57, to take home the Decatur Holiday Hoops championship trophy. Bergman's Jessie Van Lear was named the tournament's most valuable player.
In the boys' final round, the Bergman Panthers faced the Elkins Elks in a hard-fought contest which ended with Elkins taking the victory, 71-48, and taking home the Decatur Holiday Hoops Classic championship trophy. Elkins' Paxton Barnett was named the tournament's most valuable player.
The Bulldogs will play at home in Peterson Gym Nov. 5 when they take on the Kingston Yellowjackets in the first conference contest of the season. Decatur will travel to Colcord, Okla., Dec. 8, to take on the Colcord Hornets in the Colcord Jamboree. See decatursd.com for updated start time.
Sports on 12/06/2017