Photo: Etowah High’s Brady Troup goes in for a layup during the Blue Devils’ 52-45 victory over Westbrook Christian in the Greater Gadsden Area Christmas Tournament semifinals on Dec. 27 at GCHS. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)
By Madison Cannon/Sports Correspondent
Respective fast-break layups by Ollie Finch and Ethan Foster late in the fourth quarter secured Etowah’s 52-45 win over Westbrook Christian in the semifinals of the Greater Gadsden Area Christmas Classic on Dec. 26 at GCHS.
Westbrook’s Joe Tucker’s three-point basket with six minutes left in the game put the Warriors ahead 40 to 39, but Westbrook could not hang on. A pair of foul shots by Trent Davis put the game out of reach.
The first quarter ended with Etowah leading 10-9 stretch. Westbrook took the lead early in the second quarter and kept it on close until the of the end of the first half. With five seconds left and Westbrook leading by a point, NyNy Davis droves the length of the court and nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 25-23 lead.
Westbrook responded after halftime, evening the score up late in the third quarter despite three turnovers with seconds left in the period.
Etowah’s pressure defense made it hard for Westbrook to get the ball in position to make a play during the fourth quarter.
Trent Davis led Etowah with 14 points, followed by NyNy Davis with 13 and Brady Troup with 11.
“I’m proud of our defensive game,” said Etowah head coach James Graves. “We played well and kept a great hold on such a good team like Westbrook.”
Tucker and Cade Phillips each scored 11 points for the Warriors, while Andrew Lockridge dished out six assists.