DOWN TO THE WIRE: Andalusia holds of Georgiana for tourney crown

Published 12:05 am Saturday, December 31, 2016

The Andalusia Bulldogs held off Georgiana in the final seconds to knock off the Panthers 66-65 in the championship game of the 19th Annual Red Level Christmas Tournament.

“I could tell this morning at practice that our attitude and focus was were it needed to be,” Bulldogs’ head coach Anthony Clark said. “We really need a game like this, and I’m very proud of the way we played. Jaden Brown and Trey Wilkerson really stepped up and played a big game for us tonight.”

The Bulldogs had a double-digit lead midway through the fourth period, but a flurry of 3-pointers from the Panthers gave Georgiana a 61-60 lead with just under two minutes to play.

Georgiana was up 65-54 with less than 30 seconds remaining when Andalusia’s B.J. Anderson made a gutsy drive to the basket and drew a foul with 3.8 seconds left on the clock.

Anderson knocked down both free throws to put the Bulldogs on top 66-65.

The Panthers charged down the court and attempted a last-second shot, but the ball clanked off the front of the iron, giving the Bulldogs the victory.

Anderson led the Bulldogs with 27 points.