Jaguars find range, advance to title game

OZARK – For three quarters, the defensive strategy of the Enterprise Wildcats had worked against the Barbour County Jaguars.

The Wildcats sandwiched the Jaguars’ Devondrick Richardson underneath the basket, willing to take their chances by giving the Jaguars the open 3-pointer.

Barbour County clanged, bounced and ricocheted an array of 3-pointers in the first three periods before a fortunate bank shot sparked a Jaguar run and helped Barbour County advance to the finals of the Dothan Progress/Dothan Eagle/Southern Star Holiday Prep Classic with a 67-61 win over the Wildcats.

Barbour County will face Eufaula tonight at 6:30 p.m. for the championship.

Enterprise led 46-44 after three quarters after the Jaguars missed all seven of its 3-point attempts in the period.

But in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Barbour County’s Quantez McRae banked in a 3-pointer to give the Jaguars a 47-46 lead. A Robert Lampley basket was followed by a Courtavious Dorsey 3-pointer, then Joshua Richardson nailed another 3-pointer to make it 55-49 with 3:39 left. Then, a Lampley steal led to a thunderous dunk by Richardson to make it 57-49. Barbour County stretched the lead to as many as 12 before a late Enterprise rally got the Wildcats within four, but no closer.

“Our outside shooting wasn’t there in the beginning, and that allowed them to double team Devondrick underneath,” Jaguar head coach Raymond White said.

Meanwhile, a subtle defensive change helped the Jaguars contain Wildcat freshman Rhett Harrelson, who had burned the Jaguars with four 3-pointers and 17 points in the first half. Harrelson was held to a single basket in the third quarter and only five fourth-quarter points.

“We wanted to come out and give them a different look and see if they would adjust to it,” White said.

Barbour County led 18-13 after one quarter behind the shooting of Dorsey and Joshua Richardson. Lampley was fouled hard underneath the basket and fell to the floor, suffering a gash above his right eye that forced him to miss much of the first and fourth quarters due to bleeding.

The Jaguars led by as many as eight in the second quarter before Harrelson ignited a run to end the half with back-to-back 3-pointers. On one possession, Enterprise’s Brandon Hart dove to the floor for a loose ball, pushed it to another Wildcat who found Harrelson open for the 3-pointer. Still, Barbour County led 37-33 at the half.

Enterprise started the third quarter with a 13-5 run to take a 46-42 lead, and a 46-44 lead after three quarters. The Jaguars were 3-of-13 from the field in the third quarter.

Once Barbour County found its range from outside in the fourth quarter, Enterprise lost its composure on offense and committed several unforced turnovers. Enterprise turned the ball over seven times in the final period and didn’t have a field goal until 1:24 left in the game.

Devondrick Richardson led the Jaguars with 17 points despite constant double-teaming. Dorsey added 14 points. Harrelson finished with 24 for Enterprise. Tony Gray added 13 and Chris Murry added 11.