Generals’ defensive tenacity defeats host Carroll

OZARK — In the final minute of a 38-point victory, Robert E. Lee sophomore Jerrod Pettus raced down the court after Carroll had beaten the Generals’ press.

Rather than give Brandon Walker an easy basket, Pettus fouled him and sent him to the free-throw line.

As much as any moment, that play typified Lee’s tenacity Friday night in the opening game of the Dothan Progress/Dothan Eagle/Southern Star Holiday Press Classic, presented by the Cochran Firm.

The Generals didn’t give up anything easy and routed the host Eagles 81-43.

“We had to play hard today,” Lee coach Bryant Johnson said. “Playing the home team in the first game, we wanted to make sure we came out aggressive and with a lot of energy.”

Pressing all over the court, the Generals forced a number of Carroll turnovers and kept up the pressure for the full 32 minutes.

“That’s the way we play every game, every practice,” Johnson said. “I thought we did a nice job creating offense with our defense.”

Lee, 6-2 and winners of four straight, put together several large run to run away from the Eagles. Carroll did rally from an early 13-4 deficit and pulled to 15-11. Carroll also got a turnover and had a fast break, but turned the ball over with 1:19 left in the first quarter.

Lee scored 15 consecutive points and led 30-11 with 6:25 left in the first half.

The Generals pushed the accelerator with a 22-3 run in a six-minute stretch from late in the third quarter to midway through the fourth. Lee’s advantage went from 53-33 to 75-36. Carroll’s Byron Bell broke the drought with a basket with 4:10 left in the game.

“That’s what can happen when one team is a lot better than the other one,” Carroll coach Phillip Landers said after the game. “There’s really not much else you can say. They played much better than us.”

Lee will face the winner of the Enterprise-Abbeville game on Monday at 9:30 p.m.

The Generals had 14 of their 16 players score. Mantez Holmes led the way with 19. Henry Timmons added 12 and Adrian Nelson scored 9. Four Generals — Sharmaine Washington, Renardo Smith, Tyler Lowe and De’Andre Cook — scored six points each.

Kevin Jenkins paced Carroll with 13 points. Robert Miles and Brandon Walker scored seven points each. Jesse Stanford scored six points for the Eagles, who fell to 9-5.