Woodward Academy wins big in third quarter to top Decatur 67-56
As the second half of the Georgia High School Association basketball season has gotten underway, teams are facing off in key region battles including Monday's Class 5A, Region 4 showdown between the Decatur Bulldogs and Woodward Academy War Eagles, as both teams entered the night unbeaten in region play
Both riding momentum of current win streaks, the Bulldogs would strike iron first, opening up the game with a 9-0 run that included two three-point baskets by junior, Bryce Howson, who would end the night with 14 points. Taking advantage of the War Eagles' slow start, Decatur would go on to close out the opening period of play with a 19-9 lead.
Carrying momentum throughout the second quarter and withstanding each run Woodward would attempt, the Bulldogs would be led by an eight point performance by Jason Welborn, who led all players with 24 points, in the period as they would take a 32-20 lead into the locker room at the half.
However in the third quarter, the War Eagles, with senior, Zachary Foster, who finished with 11 points, leading the way with seven points in the quarter, Woodward Academy would dominate on both ends of the court as they outscored the Bulldogs 30-6 in the period, taking a 52-40 lead into the fourth quarter, in which the Bulldogs would get within seven points of the War Eagles, but could not overcome the 12 point deficit to start the final period of play as Woodward picked up the 67-56 win.
"Credit to Coach Welsh and Decatur. They really came out a really tough team and I knew he was going to coach them well," Woodward Academy head coach, Anthony Thomas said following the War Eagles' win as he praised the Decatur players for how much they challenged his team.
"They put us in some tough positions," Thomas added as the War Eagles trailed throughout the entirety of the first half before making adjustments at halftime. "We just really went back to basics. We wanted to make sure that we were competing, had good effort and the rest would take care of itself," Thomas said of the War Eagles second half adjustments which led to their huge third quarter. "We just wanted to win that quarter," Thomas said.
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