Ben’s Ford Christian School’s Eagles were defeated by Lamar Christian School, 66-32 in a district contest at home Friday.
The game was close early on.
Lamar led 14-10 through the first quarter and Ben’s Ford took a point off the deficit 2:05 into the second quarter and the Eagles were trailing just 16-13 with 5:55 left in the first half.
Lamar opened the lead with a 14-0 run that took up nearly the final 5:43 of the first half.
Donovan Smith made a field goal with 5:43 on the clock. Cade Mattison hit a 3-pointer to make it an eight-point game. Cole Needham passed to Myles Needham for three more and it was 24-13 with 3:43 to go. Smith made a layup after an offensive rebound two minutes later. Lamar missed two free throws, but Smith hit a layup after Lamar Christian recorded an offensive rebound for a 28-13 lead with 1:04 left. Cole Needham and Luke Bilbo made a free throw each to make it a 17-point game with 18 seconds left.
Ben’s Ford A.J. Exkano made a pair of free throws with 10 seconds to go in the first half and Lamar was up 30-15 at halftime.
“In the first quarter, we played well,” Ben’s Ford coach Landon Tims said. “We were only down (four) going into the second quarter, but early in the second quarter is when we lost Tyler (Winstead) to the ankle injury, so he went out, and they’re so big that it really hurts us on the boards and Tyler is one of our primary scorers.
“Once he went out, we struggled to put the ball in the basket. We only scored five points in the second quarter and when you get down to this team, it’s hard to make a comeback. (Number) 0 Cole (Needham), he’s an excellent player. He’s one of the best guards I’ve ever seen, so when you get down to them, it’s hard to make a comeback.”
Winstead came back late in the third quarter.
Lamar extended the lead to 51-25 through three quarters in the 66-32 win.
Winstead led Ben’s Ford with eight points, to go with a rebound, an assist, two steals and two blocks.
Exkano posted five points, a rebound and an assist.
Justin Moore recorded five points and a board.
Dalton Crain had four points, three rebounds, four assists and he blocked a shot.
John Eric Self tallied four points and two boards.
Alston Moore posted three points, three rebounds and a steal.
Xavier Adams put up two points and a rebound.
Jarrett Williams had a point, three boards, an assist and three steals.
Tucker Keating posted three rebounds, and two steals while Isaac Wascom grabbed three boards, Chase Penton pulled down three rebounds, dished out an assist and made a steal and Clint Miley had an assist.
Lamar’s Cole Needham led all scorers with 25 points, which included three 3-pointers.
Smith was next with 19 points.
Caleb Brown posted eight points while Myles Needham recorded six points, Mattison had five, Wes Broome tallied two and Bilbo added one. Needham made two 3-pointers and Mattison made a 3-pointer.
On Monday, Ben’s Ford suffered a 54-46 loss to Centreville Academy in district play on the road.
Wascom led the Eagles with 14 points, to go with two rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Keating was just a steal from a double-double. Keating scored 12 points and made nine steals. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists.
Winstead posted 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and he blocked two shots.
Justin Moore had five points and an assist.
Crain recorded two points, eight rebounds, a steal and he blocked a shot.
Alston Moore posted two points and a rebound.
Penton posted two boards, an assist and two steals and Williams added a rebound for Ben’s Ford.