DOTHAN – The Pike County High Bulldogs placed four players in double-figures to claim a 64-45 win over Slocomb in the first round of the Class 3A AHSAA South Regional Basketball Tournament played Saturday in the Dothan Civic Center.

PCHS advances to play Hillcrest-Evergreen at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, with the winner moving on to the Class 3A Final Four in Birmingham, March 1-4.

Deshon Cowling led the Bulldogs with 20 points and Juhmir Lampley added 17, while Jerrell Lawson and Kamari Jackson scored 11 points each. PCHS led 18-12 after the first period, 32-18 at halftime and Slocomb never pulled any closer in the 64-45 PCHS victory.

The Bulldogs were strong from outside the 3-point arch, hitting 6-of-11 attempts in the first half, with Cowling nailing 6-of-9 treys on the night.

“I was just shooting for the three-pointers, my team kept asking me to take it, and happily I had a hot hand,” said Cowling, a 5-11 senior guard. “My team took over for me in the second half, and I really did not stress that much, I just let them take over the game. I knew it was going to be a good game, and had been talking about it all day.”

PCHS head coach Gerald Holland was pleased with the effort and intensity of veteran team that includes eight seniors.

“Up to this point we have been pretty consistent all year,” said Coach Holland. “We started the year up against some big power teams and our record did not indicate to a lot of people what type of team we had. The last part of the season, dealing with the area, a lot of people did not think we would make it out of the area again, so this is a big tribute to a lot of our seniors. They put in a lot of work. A lot of people and a lot of coaches talk about getting back here, and to do it two times in a row, is a feat, so I am really proud of the players and what they have accomplished right now.”

 

Tipoff Wednesday is 10:45 a.m. for the Bulldogs against Hillcrest-Evergreen in the Dothan Civic Center.