COLBERT – The Leopards upped the energy level out the halftime break to pull away from Rock Creek and took a 43-30 win Friday night in the team’s final game of 2013. Colbert also won the evening’s first contest, 57-40, to pick up the first win for Tony Robinson as the coach of the girls’ team.
GIRLS
Colbert (5-1) pulled away early, going up 16-7 on Rock Creek in the first quarter. The Lady Leopards got 10 points from senior guard Rachel Anders in the opening period, on her way to a game-high 17.
CHS took the second quarter 19-9 and took control of the game as well. Hayli McGowan had eight of her nine points in that period.
Robinson took over the girls’ program on Monday and has had only three practices. His first game at the helm was a tough 53-50 loss to Calera, the Lady Leopards this season. But he is looking forward to getting to know his other team.
“Christmas break is really going to be big for us,” Robinson said.
Rock Creek (6-5) freshman Michaela Stinson had a game-high 19 points.
BOYS
Mustang forward Bronson Burns hit a 12-foot jumper in the lane at the halftime buzzer to knot the game at 14 apiece. But the game’s momentum quickly swung back to Colbert after the break.
Payton Whitehead hit a point blank shot 10 seconds into the third quarter and Colbert (4-2) displayed much better ball movement on offense to surge ahead in the third quarter.
Colbert outscored Rock Creek, 29-16, in the second half of a game in which fans might have thought that shooting skills had already gone on Christmas vacation.
“The boys finally got the energy level up in the second half,” Robinson said. “They started to shoot the ball and really play with some energy.
Darius Johnson led the way for the Leopards with 13 points. Whitehead put in eight.
Burns had a game-high 16 to the Mustangs, who fell to 6-5.
Girls
RCHS 7 9 13 11 40
CHS 16 19 11 11 57
RCHS > Michaela Stinson 19, Harlie Heflin 8, Destanie Watkins 5, Kaci Haislip 4, Macy Eiler 2, Teigan Munson 2.
CHS > Rachel Anders 17, Samantha Cummins 13, Hayli McGowan 9, Taytania Gray 8, Maddison Poteet 4, Hannah Wilson 4, Kayla Densmore 2.
Boys
RCHS 6 8 9 7 30
CHS 5 9 14 15 43
RCHS > Bronson Burns 16, Ethan Mitchell 4, Tyler Parker 3, Brock Allen 2, Josh Eiler 2, Jacob Venegas 2, Garrett Mitchell 2.
CHS > Darius Johnson 13, Payton Whitehead 8, Garrett Work 6, Kason Krob 5, McClain Marquez 5, Ryan Baker 2, Chance Hale 2, Dakota Tillery 2.