Andalusia lost multiple leads and went on to fall 49-45 to Hillcrest-Evergreen as the Bulldogs started Class 4A, Area 2 play on Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (5-12) went on an early 8-0 run to finish out the first period, but the Jaguars came back in the second to take a one-point lead at the break. It was a back and forth game in the third period, but HHS held a 38-36 lead going into the fourth.

AHS lost two of its leads in the third period.

Just the other night, the Bulldogs led Enterprise by 12 points and cut it to one at halftime. AHS lost to the Wildcats 61-53.

“You can’t get them to understand the sense of urgency,” AHS coach Richard Robertson said.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this loss puts them behind 0-1 in area play with another tough area contest at Wilcox Central on Friday.

Andalusia seniors Montel Lee and Phillip James established the inside game from the start of the first period. Lee connected with James for a 3-point play, and for an easy bucket to get the game to 6-5.

The Jaguars displayed good defense off of AHS fast breaks at the bucket.

However, the Bulldogs would start their 8-0 run on a Lee runner. James followed with two foul shots, and Devante Jackson laced Lee a nice pass for two to complete the run and make it 11-6 after the first period.

All this time, shots for HHS didn’t go in as AHS took advantage on transition.

James made a couple foul shots to make it 13-8 with 7:17 to go in the first half.

The Bulldogs answered Hillcrest’s defense by diverting off their man and executing at the second level at times to divert the Jaguars’ lethal offensive scheme.

Michael Bradley hit a 3-ointer with about six minutes left to cut the game to 13-11.

Andalusia’s Jayden Ellison answered with a drive up the paint to make it 15-11.

Hillcrest answered with a short 4-0 run thanks to A’xavian Ingram’s pull-up jumper and Bradley’s runner that tied it at 15-all.

AHS then took a 19-15 lead a short time later and decided to take shots from the perimeter, which isn’t the Bulldogs’ offensive scheme as they are an inside team.

The Jaguars took advantage of the missed shots, and Bradley nailed a trey to cut the lead to one at 2:07.

Christopher Salter got a layup to give HHS a 20-19 lead going into halftime.

It was back and forth early in the third period. Ellison found James for an easy bucket and a 27-25 lead, but Hillcrest answered with a putback.

Andalusia’s two leads lost in the period came after it led 27-25 and 32-29.

Roach got a layup off of a steal to put the Jaguars ahead 40-36 at the start of the fourth, and HHS pulled ahead for good after Trae Lewis made two foul shots with 6:23 to go for a 42-37 advantage.

Before Lewis made his foul shots, James was fouled hard on the head by LaQuienton Prince and had to go to the hospital for stitches.

Andalusia then fought back from a 47-40 deficit late in the game as it outscored HHS 5-2 in the final two minutes.

James led AHS with 18 points. Ellison had 17.

The Bulldogs went 17-for-23 from the free throw line.

Bradley led HHS with 16 points. Roach added 10.

In B-team action, the Bulldogs fell 37-35 to the Jaguars.

AHS played a solid fourth period as it climbed back from single-digit deficits to make the game close.

Andalusia’s Keshun Townsend led the Bulldogs with 13 points. Ian Peek, who got five straight points on a 3-point play and two foul shots to cut the game by two in the fourth.

Andalusia led 35-33 with 2:46 to go, but couldn’t get it done in the end.

Hillcrest-Evergreen girls 33, Andalusia girls 30

Andalusia’s Laticia Crittenden led the Lady Bulldogs with 14 points and seven rebounds; Alexis Lawrence had 10 points; and Grace Burns chipped in 10 rebounds in the loss.

The Lady Bulldogs (5-9) fought back from a 6-2 deficit in the first period and took a 10-9 lead going into the second.

Lawrence got a rebound off of Merikal McCaskill’s missed free shot and AHS led 13-9 at the 6:10 mark of the second.

Hillcrest’s Brianna Rudolph hit a 3-pointer with 1:32 to give the Lady Jaguars a 14-13 lead.

Crittenden got a drive from the right and made a foul shot with time dwindling down as AHS led 16-14 at halftime.

HHS applied pressure as the third period got under way, forcing turnovers from Andalusia.

AHS coach Brad Garner said the girls’ turnovers are something that needs some help eradicating.

“Quite honestly, our turnovers are things we need to fix, not necessarily what they’re doing,” Garner said. “I don’t think their pressure did a whole lot to us. They made us slow down and have to work on a half-court set on offense.”

The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Jaguars fought until the end of the third period, where HHS led 25-24.

In the fourth, AHS fed the ball to Lawrence for some baseline drives to the bucket, but the ball didn’t get there on bad passes.

“We missed some shots on the inside that hurt us,” Garner said. “We want the game to be up and down the floor.They kept us from doing that.”

AHS went for the tie with less than six seconds left in the game, but Crittenden’s shot from the arch bounced off the rim.

Rudolph led HHS with 17 points.