By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser
An area battle between the Thorsby Rebels and Billingsley Bears saw the two schools split the matchup as the Bears varsity girls came away with a hard fought 28-27 win, while it was the Rebels
varsity boys what picked up a big 66-36 area win.
A Rebels varsity girls basketball team that had been decimated by the flu was forced to travel to Billingsley on Tuesday night for a battle with the Bears and only five girls available to play.

With both teams struggling to find the basket during the early minutes of the game, it was Lindsey Wood that put the first points of the game on the board for Thorsby. A three by Carlee Wyatt gave the Rebels a five-point lead, but it was answered by baskets from Hollann Horton and Abby Tindol that made it a one-point Thorsby lead.

The Rebels clung to a 13-12 halftime lead and 18-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Madisyn Ellison extended the Rebels lead to five with a three to start the fourth and it was followed by another three from Wyatt to make it an eight-point Thorsby lead. A three from Motley with five minutes to play marked the start of the Billingsley comeback.

With 1:17 to play, a basket from Tindol made it a three-point game.

With just 10 seconds remaining, a clutch three from Zania Binion made it a 27-all game.

With the Rebels set to inbound, a steal by Tindol and a foul by the Rebels sent the Bears to the charity stripe, where a game-winning free throw by Tindol gave Billingsley a 28-27 victory.
Horton led the Bears with 11 points, 10 rebounds and a block, while Wyatt led the Rebels with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals.

 

Rebels wear down BHS in second half
The Rebels varsity boys had a much quicker start than their counterparts, as a quick opening shots by Michael Fortner for Thorsby and Raymond Cutler for Billingsley set the pace for a high scoring first period.

Unfortunately for the home standing Bears, it was separate 5-0 and a 11-0 scoring runs by the Rebels that accounted for most of the period’s points, as Thorsby jumped out to a commanding 21-9 lead.
The second period of the matchup proved to be much more competitive as the two teams traded blows.

Randal Rawlinson and Cutler combined to cut the Thorsby lead to seven, but a late basket by Dakota Merrell and Fortner gave Thorsby an 11-point, 31-21 halftime lead.
With the third quarter underway, the Rebels began to pull away with a pair of opening baskets by Niece and Fortner.

Thorsby outscored the Bears 15-9 in the period, and the Rebels took a 47-30 lead to the final period.
The fourth period mirrored the third as the Rebels continued to pull away from the Bears with Tyler Jackson getting the period started with an old-fashioned three-point play.

Cole Hight and Colby Davis added baskets to aid in a 9-0 Rebels run, as Thorsby cruised to a 66-36 area win over the Bears.
Merrell lead the Rebels with nine points, five rebounds and two steals.

Cutler led the Bears with 21 points, three rebounds and six steals.