A surge in the second half carried the Greenville Lions to a 63-49 home win over Crandall in a District 13-5A basketball opener on Tuesday.
The Lions led only 30-29 at halftime but outscored the Pirates 33-20 in the second half to improve to 10-5 for the season. Crandall dropped to 6-8.
“The second half…we came out playing Greenville basketball,” said Lions coach Chris Williams. “It was a dogfight the first half.”
Tutti Davis got the Lions rolling in the third quarter when he drained back to back 3-pointers.
Degaryion Anderson also helped the surge with a layup, a 3-pointer and a slam dunk to make it 43-32. Anderson also blocked a shot as the Lions went into the fourth quarter leading 45-37.
Anderson blocked another shot in the fourth quarter and drained another 3-pointer as the Lions’ lead climbed to 59-41. Micah Simpson hit two free throws and Antwon Anderson scored another basket to pad the Lions’ final margin.
“We’re 1-0 now and it really feels good to be 1-0,” Williams said of the Lions’ district record.
Degaryion Anderson led the Lions with 16 points, Xak Wylie muscled his way inside for 14 points, while Simpson and Davis added six points each and Kayden Edwards tossed in five.
Blake Parrish led Crandall with 10 points and De’shawn Hall and Kyle Dearman both tossed in nine.
The Lions will be off for the Christmas holiday before they resume play in the Paris tournament. They’re scheduled to play Longview Pine Tree at 3 p.m. on Dec. 28. They also have tournament games scheduled against Waxahachie Life and Hope, Arkansas.
District 13-5A basketball
Crandall 13 16 8 12 —49
Greenville 13 17 15 18 —63
C: K.J. Salter 3, De’shawn Hall 9, Bobby Saulters 2, Jason Orta 2, Blake Parrish 10, Eli Cannefax 7, Jamonte Gordon-West 7, Kyle Dearman 9.
G: Xak Wylie 14, Micah Simpson 6, Antwon Anderson 11, Tutti Davis 6, Kayden Edwards 5, Keaton Heard 1, Dre Johnson 4, Degaryion Anderson 16.
Records: G 10-5, 1-0; C 6-8, 0-1.
Next game: Greenville vs. Longview Pine Tree, 3 p.m. Dec. 28, Paris tournament.
Junior varsity boys
Crandall 11 21 16 20 —68
Greenville 17 12 8 17 —55
C: Cox 20, Sheffield 10, Okoh 10.
G: Williams 17, Johnson 12.
Freshman boys
Crandall 26 2 2 11 —41
Greenville 17 14 6 6 —43
C: Gibbs 17.
G: Dadrian 23, Damon 10.