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By Brandon Sumrall/ Special to the Advertiser

The opening night of this year’s county basketball tournament saw the Maplesville Red Devil varsity boys knock off the Isabella Mustangs, 60-45.

The first period of the matchup saw Maplesville score early and score often as seven points from Jackson Abbott would lead a 13-0 Red Devil run to start the game. Elijah Littlefield put an end to the Red Devil run with one from the charity stripe, but was answered by baskets from Abbott and Trevon Blackmon. With the addition of a basket from Littlefield for the Mustangs, the first period would end with Maplesville leading 17-3.

Littlefield and Raymond Boston combined to cut the lead to ten to start the second period, but with five from Abbott and another two from Blackmon, the Red Devils pushed back out in front by 15. Caleb Hobbs and Paul Mitchell made it a 19-point lead for Maplesville while threes by Littlefield, Abbott and Moore along with a basket from Mitchell sent the two teams to the half with Maplesville leading 32-14.

Four straight by Latrell Wilson along with baskets from Abbott and Blackmon had Maplesville off and running to start the third on a 8-0 run. The Red Devil run ended on a pair from the line for Anthony Moore and with a three from Littlefield, the Mustangs would draw to within 20. Blackmon later made it a 22-point Maplesville lead, but a buzzer beating three from Anthony Fjeldstad would send the game to the final period of play with Isabella trailing 46-27.

Abbott and Jackson posted a pair to start the fourth while four straight from Littlefield kept the Mustangs in tow. Another basket from Littlefield along with one from Fjeldstad pulled Isabella to within 15 midway through the period, but that would be as close as the Mustangs would get as the Red Devils would go on to a 60-45 win over Isabella in the opening round of this year’s county tournament.

Abbott would lead Maplesville with 26 points, 17 rebounds, 5 steals and a pair of blocks, while Littlefield would lead the Mustangs with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals.

The Red Devils advance to round two where they will face the Thorsby Rebels this Thursday night with tip off set for 7 p.m. from the gymnasium on the campus of Chilton County High School.