By Chris McCarthy/
Editor
Westbrook Christian lost to Weaver, 69-58, in the championship game of the Riley Whitaker Memorial Christmas Classic on Wednesday (Dec. 23) at Gadsden State.
The Class 3A No. 4 Warriors led 36-28 at halftime and 50-42 after three quarters, but Weaver opened the fourth period with a 20-1 run to take the lead for good.
For Westbrook (13-2), Will Jones finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Chandler Richards scored 13 points. Kyle Leonard had 10 points and four assists, Kyle Edwards seven points and four assists and Luke Graham six points and eight rebounds.
Westbrook defeated Saks, 54-46, in the tournament se-mifinals on Tuesday. Coming off a one-point loss to Lincoln on Saturday, the Warriors made short work of Boaz in a 75-58 victory in the quarterfinals.
Against Boaz, Westbrook maintained a double-digit lead from midway through the first quarter. Kyle Leonard dropped 12 points during the first frame to spark the Warriors to a 21-9 advantage. Leonard finished with a game-high 18 points.
Luke Graham and Chandler Richards each scored six points in the second frame as Westbrook built a 43-19 lead at halftime.
Braden Beecham’s three-point basket with a minute to go in the third quarter put the Rainbow City squad up 62-36, and although the Pirates outscored Westbrook 22 to 13 over final eight minutes, the outcome was never in doubt.
“Our kids came out and played real well early,” said Westbrook head coach Donny Pruett. “We got a little sloppy down the stretch when we got up by 30 [points], so we have to work on maintaining our intensity the whole game.”
Richards added 13 points for Westbrook, followed by Graham with nine and Beecham and Cameron Migliore with each. Graham also had seven rebounds.
Against Saks, Leonard scored 19 points, followed by Graham with eight, Will Jones with seven and Richards and Boo Shirley with six each. Graham and Jones had six and five rebounds, respectively.