By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

The Chilton County Tigers and the Billingsley Bears split games on Thursday with the Bears’ varsity girls picking up a hard-fought win in the closing minutes, while the Tigers’ varsity boys out-shot the Bears on the way to a win at home.

After falling into an early deficit in the first period, Billingsley’s girls (7-8 overall, 2-4 area) outlasted the Tigers (6-10, 1-3) to pick up the road win, 48-42.

A strong defensive showing, solid shooting, and four points from Dianna Guerrero helped the Tigers in the first period and gave them a 13-8 lead at the end of the first period.

The Bears flipped the script on the Tigers in the second period and matched the Tigers’ first period output.

Four second-period points from Alexis Cook helped the Bears tie the game at 21-all going into the halftime break.

Madison Price took the reigns of the Bears offense in the second period, hitting two from downtown to give the Bears a 34-31 lead going into the final period.

Six points from Cook out-did Gabriel Kelley’s four in the final period, and the Bears outlasted the Tigers to pick up the win.

Kelley led the Tigers with 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Guerrero added 11 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Price had 17 points, seven rebounds and a steal for the Bears.

Chilton County’s varsity boys (10-7, 1-3) could do no wrong in the first period, knocking down 11-of-16 from the field.

With Braylen Parker accounting for eight of the Tigers’ first-period points, Chilton County took a 25-10 lead.

Despite going scoreless the first 3 minutes of the second period, the CCHS offense roared back in full force in the closing minutes, scoring 29 second-period points.

Eleven from Tolliver Gilliland, including a perfect three-of-three from beyond the arc, gave the Tigers a commanding 54-24 lead at the break.

Gilliland continued with his hot hand from behind the arc late in the third quarter and added 5 more to his tally in the period as the Tigers maintained a comfortable 69-36 lead.

Jacob Hatch joined in on the Tigers 3-point shooting, knocking down back-to-back baskets from long range in the fourth quarter as the Tigers went on to pick up the 82-41 win.

Gilliland led the way for the Tigers with 18 points (including a four-of-four from 3-point range), three rebounds and a steal.

Parker added 15 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Jaytarius Steele led the Bears (1-14, 0-6) with 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks.