TIGERS SOAR PAST EAGLES: Peeples brothers light it up from downtown
Published 12:05 am Saturday, December 3, 2016
- Hank Peeples and younger brother Justin paced the Tigers with a combined 41 points and nine 3-pointers. Josh Dutton/Star-News
The Straughn Tigers varsity girl’s basketball team fell to Carroll on Friday night in Straughn, but the Tigers’ varsity boys topped the Eagles in the final game of the evening.
BOYS
STRAUGHN 64,
CARROLL 57
In the final game of the night, Straughn got off to a hot start and held on for a 64-57 victory over Carroll on Friday night in Straughn.
Keaun Samuel won the opening tip off and quickly converted it into points to put the Tigers up 2-0.
After a stop on the other end of the court, the youngest Peeples brother, Justin, got his night started by burying a 3-pointer.
Moments later, J. Peeples connected again from behind the arc to give Straughn an 8-0 lead.
Straughn’s point guard Taylor Rhudy got sick with the handle and then dished off a pass to Hank Peeples who played sting music from downtown to put the Tigers 11-0.
Carroll responded with a 3-pointer for their first points of the game, and then H. Peeples followed with a layup and 3-pointer to pull Straughn out front 16-3.
J. Peeples then sent in another 3-pointer to extend the Straughn lead to 19-3.
Matt Worley and Taylor Rhudy finished off the scoring in the opening period and had Straughn on top 23-8 heading into the second period.
The Tigers got a little cold in the second period, but 8 points from Samuel help keep Straughn on top 33-29 at the halfway point.
Straughn opened up the third with 6-0 run including another 3-pointer from J. Peeples
H. Peeples closed out the third with a pair of 3-pointers to give Straughn a 51-34 lead heading into the final period.
Carroll got off to scorching start in the fourth period and trimmed the Tiger lead down to 51-41.
A 3-pointer from J. Peeples ended the Eagles’ scoring run and put Straughn up 56-44.
The Eagles connected on a flurry of 3-pointers down the stretch, but the Tigers were able to hold on for a 64-57 victory.
“I thought we played well tonight,” Straughn head coach Bradley Stephens said. “We came out hot shooting from the perimeter, and that always helps when you can come out and shell shock a team really quick. I’m most proud of the way we maintained the lead. Carroll got on some good runs, but we did a good job of weathering the storms.”
H. Peeples led the way for the Tigers with 24 points including four 3-pointers.
J. Peeples connected on five 3-pointers and finished the night with 17 points.
Samuel finished the game with 14 points.
GIRLS
CARROLL 55, STRAUGHN 28
The Carroll High School Lady Eagles, coached by former Andalusia High School coach Marshall Locke, toppled the Straughn Lady Tigers 55-28 Friday night in Straughn.
“I felt like we played pretty well at times and at times not so well,” Locke said. “This was our fourth game of the week and our legs are a bit dead, but I thought we played well. Straughn has a good team. They got a lot of good looks, but they just couldn’t get the shoots to fall tonight.”
In the opening period, Carroll jumped out front 10-0 before the Lady Tigers got on the board.
Chelsi Brooks put back in a basket after corralling an offensive rebound to get the Tigers on the scoreboard.
At the end of the first period, Carroll was on top 18-2.
Caroline Wood connected on free throw to start the scoring for the Lady Tigers in the second period.
Lexi Hooks buried a 3-ball later in the period, to help the Lady Tigers creep back into the ball game.
Both teams continued to battle it out, but Carroll held a 29-13 lead going into halftime.
Straughn got plenty of looks in the third period, but the Lady Tigers were just unable to get many shots to fall.
Alyssa Dean knocked down a 3-pointer for the Lady Tigers, but Straughn still trailed Carroll 46-19 heading into the final period.
Sydney Kinsaul hit a 3-pointer in the fourth period for the Lady Tigers and Brooks picked up 4 points as kept battling in the final period.
“I really can’t complain with the way we played,” Lady Tigers’ head coach Scott Kinsaul said. “We were just overmatched. Our girls have already shown a lot of improvement from our Thanksgiving tournament, but tonight we just couldn’t hit our shots.”