LINCOLN -- The Decatur boys' basketball team traveled south into Wolves' country to participate in the first Annual Turkey Shoot Basketball Tournament in the gym at Lincoln High School Nov. 19-21 for a three-game series. Unfortunately for Bulldogs fans, the boys came close in two contests but ultimately lost all three games for a sixth-place finish in the tournament.
First up was the host team, the Lincoln Wolves. The Bulldogs jumped out in front in the first minute of the opening quarter. But as quickly as the Bulldogs got on the points, Lincoln shut them down, allowing Decatur only four points for the remainder of the quarter. The Wolves built an eight-point lead going into the second quarter.
Decatur came alive in the second quarter, keeping pace with the stronger Lincoln team. But Decatur was unable to overtake the Wolves and ended the half down by 10.
The Bulldogs continued to keep pace with the Wolves throughout the second half but were never able to cut into their point deficit. Lincoln defeated Decatur, 49-38, to advance to the semifinal round in the winner's bracket, while the Bulldogs advanced to the loser's bracket to face the Future School of Fort Smith Nov. 20.
Kevin Garcia led the scoring effort for the Bulldogs with 12, followed by Ryan Ross with 10 and Kelvin Moreno with six.
The first quarter of the Decatur-Future School game saw both teams starting slowly, with the defenses limiting scoring to a few points each. Future School was able to outscore Decatur by four points, taking a 12-4 lead going into the second quarter. The Rocket offense went to work in the second, scoring a total of 18 points while holding the Bulldogs to only four. By halftime, Future School went into the locker room leading Decatur, 30-12.
Decatur tried to get back into the contest but the Future School Rockets' lead was too much and the Bulldogs lost by a final score of 47-30. The Rockets advanced to the third-place round against the Gentry Pioneers, and the Bulldogs advanced to the fifth-place round Nov. 21 against the Lincoln Junior Varsity Wolfpack.
Leading the scoring drive for the Bulldogs were Ryan Ross with seven, Tafari James with five and Cayden Bingham and Kevin Garcia rounding out the scoring with six points each.
In the Bulldogs' final game of the tournament, the Lincoln Wolfpack controlled the entire contest, outscoring Decatur in every quarter to take the win 59-32 and fifth-place in the tournament. The Decatur Bulldogs finished in sixth place for the three-day tournament.
The scoring drive was led by Tafari James and Kevin Garcia, each with seven, followed by Ryan Ross and Cayden Bingham, each with five.
Sports on 11/28/2018