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By Brandon Sumrall/ Special to the Advertiser

The 2020-2021 basketball season changed gears last week as area play began for the Chilton County Tigers. With two area games last week, the Lady Tigers began area play with a 1-1 record, while the varsity boys will look to dig themselves out of a hole after starting off with an 0-2 mark.

With both squads coming away with losses on Jan. 12 after a road trip to take on the Pelham Panthers, the Tigers returned to the friendly confines of home on Jan. 15 to take on the Calera Eagles.

Varsity girls action for the night started out with a fast pace tempo as the teams traded basket for basket through the early going. A three from Gabrielle Harris gave the Tigers a two-point lead midway through the first, but quickly dissolved on a 7-1 Calera run. With the addition of a late three from Marlie Giles, the Tigers ended the first trailing 15-14.

Baskets from Tyeshia Williams and Giles swung the lead in favor of the Tigers by four early in the period and gave Chilton a lead that they maintained until the 1:34 mark of the period where a basket from Kendall Douglass cut the lead to two. With the addition of a late basket from Iasia Anderson the Tigers took a 24-20 lead to the halftime break.

Kaylen Moultrie added a basket for Calera midway through the third that knotted the score at 30, while a three from Maylen Moultrie put the Eagles out in front by three. Tamia Fairbanks would make it a four-point Calera lead but with baskets from Tyonna Booker and a three from Keyontis Dennis at the buzzer, a 35-all game moved to the final period of play.

The early minutes for the final period saw the two teams swap four point leads on multiple occasions while four consecutive points by Giles knotted the score at 50-all with 1:28 remaining. Douglass put Calera out in front by two but was quickly answered by another from Giles. The two-point Eagle lead held through the 0:10 mark of the period where a free throw from Anderson cut the lead to one while an inbound steal by Booker and another basket from Giles with 0:03 remaining allowed the Tigers to escape with a 55-54 victory over the Eagles.

Giles led the Lady Tigers with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 steals while Moultrie led Calera with 28 points, 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks.

Varsity boys action mirrored the varsity girls during the early moments as a back and forth battle ensued while baskets from Jamon DeJarnett and Jakobe Worthy later gave the Tigers a five-point lead. The Chilton led dwindled with baskets from Duke Chambers and Iziah Green later flipping the lead in favor of Calera by two. With the addition of a late basket from Latavion Floyd, the first period ended on a 18-all tie.

A basket by Jordan Eggleston to start the second started a 8-0 Calera run that eventually ended on a basket from Jakeveon Bolding. A three from Keshawn Haynes extend the lead to nine but would be answered by a three from Jakobe Worthy that sent the game to the halftime break with Calera leading 33-27.

Four straight from Lloyd early in the second made it a two point game while baskets from Eggleston and Stoudamire would combine for Calera to again make it a six point Eagles lead. Another basket from Stoudamire kick started a 10-0 Calera run that eventually ended on a late three from Worthy that sent the game to the halftime break with the Eagles holding a 51-37 lead.

Eggleston and Gabe Trentman exchanged threes to start the third while a basket from Stoudamire extended the Calera lead to 16. Threes from Worthy and Bolding would cut the Calera lead to 12 while Davis and DeJarnett combined to cut the lead to eight. With the addition of late baskets from Derrick Edwards and Jamarius Ford, the Eagles came away with a 71-60 victory over the Tigers.

Three Eagles all scored double digit points on the evening as Haynes and Stoudamire would both post 12 while Green would add 13 for Calera. Bolding would lead Chilton with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.