BELGREEN - The Belgreen Bulldogs were on fire Thursday night, and it wasn't from the flu bug that caused nearly 80 Belgreen students to miss school this week.
Instead, Coach Clint Isbell's team nailed 12 of 13 free throws and combined that with aggressive defense and a big night from Mason Bragwell. The result? A victory over Phillips, 89-51, in the semifinals of the Class 1A, Area 13 boys basketball tournament.
The Bulldogs (20-8) will host Tharptown (10-12) Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the championship game.
With a 15-10 lead with 2:50 left in the first quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 11-0 run to take control of the game. Belgreen led 28-13 after the first quarter.
Bragwell had 17 of his 23 points in the first half. Senior guard Adam Green keyed a third-quarter run, scoring all 10 of his points in the period. Eleven of the 15 players scored for Belgreen, with Brant Bragwell, Jacob Mayberry, Green and Mason Bragwell all reaching double-figures.
“We are a very deep team with twelve players. Plus, we moved up three from the B-team, and they helped us too,” Isbell said. “From one to 15, there's not much dropoff. That's what makes this a special team.”
Each time Phillips would score multiple baskets looking to start a run, the ravenous Bulldog defense would create steals that triggered a scoring run of their own. Belgreen led 49-25 at halftime and 77-38 after three quarters. Belgreen outscored Phillips 28-13 in the third period.
“We pride ourselves on aggressive defense," Isbell said. "If we get a good defensive possession, get a steal and an easy bucket, that gets the momentum going, and it's easier to stay on a run."
Although Belgreen swept Tharptown in their two games this season, Isbell respects the county rival and appealed to his fan base to make a strong showing Saturday night.
“Home-court advantage is great, but if you don't have a big crowd, it dwindles," Isbell said. "Our community does a great job supporting this team, and so do our students. There's such a recognized tradition of basketball in this community, and a big crowd really helps us.
“It definitely does not go unnoticed."
