The Fort Dale Eagles didn't have an answer for the Edgewood duo of Dustin Duncan and David Middlebrooks Tuesday night as the pair from Wetumpka hung 16 points each on the home-standing Eagles in route to a 62-41 shellacking of last year's AISA AAA state champs.

The Eagles (9-9) led at the end of the first period, but the Wildcats (17-2) tied it up at 23 apiece going into the locker room at the half when Edgewood head coach Roy Traywick said enough was enough.

"I told them at the half that we were getting out-hustled and pushed around and we weren't going to get pushed around the second half," he said.

Apparently his team got the message as they broke the halftime tie to take a 10 point lead by the end of the third quarter in route to the 21 point win.

Traywick said he was surprised at this team's play, especially considering his squad was one starter short.

"We've got one of our starters out so I really didn't know what to expect," he said. "But we definitely played better the second half."

Eagles' head coach Reggie Mantooth said his team continued the sluggish play they showed in the Bessemer game earlier in the week.

"We just didn't play with a whole lot of energy," he said. "When our shots weren't falling the second half, it showed we weren't playing with a whole lot of energy."

With the game tied at the break, Mantooth said he asked his team to turn it up a notch or two.

"I told them if we turned up the intensity in the second half we could win," he said. "But we didn't shoot well and that hurt us."

David Moore led the Eagles with 14 points but went 4-for-15 from the floor.

He also had nine rebounds. His brother, Adam Moore added 11 points going 4-for-14 from the floor with Chuck Barrett falling one point and one rebound short of a double-double by posting nine points and nine rebounds.

For the Wildcats, Philip Moore scored 12 points and Alex Snyder added 11 points.

The Eagles look to break their losing streak with a visit to Hope Hull for a meeting with the Colts of Hooper Christian Academy Tuesday. The tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Following their game with the Colts, the Eagles will close out their season on their home court as they make a late push with one area game left to play.

They play host to Morgan Academy on Jan. 28, then Lee-Scott two days later on Jan. 31. The Eagles will play their final game of the 2004-05 season in Greenville against Sparta Academy.

Despite falling to 9-10 on the season, the Eagles have been able to win the games that matter. As of Tuesday night, Fort Dale is atop the area standings with a 3-0 record.

Unlike AHSAA, the area tournament does not come to the winner of the area.

The location rotates and this year the Eagles will travel to Selma and compete in the area tournament that will be hosted by Morgan Academy.

Dates for the area tournament are set for Feb. 4-5.