The Pike County Bulldogs almost blew a 16-point lead, but held on to defeat Houston Academy 60-58 on Tuesday evening.

The win for the Bulldogs improves their overall record on the season to 7-4 and their area record to 2-1.

“I thought they played good,” said Bulldogs head coach Doug Holland. “They played as well in the first half as they played all year. I thought we fell apart in the fourth quarter.”

The Bulldogs had two players finish in double figures in the win led by Uri Rouse with 16. Rouse scored 10 of his 16 points in the opening quarter.

“Uri is finally showing signs of being a good leader,” Holland said. “He has been working hard the last couple of weeks. He is progressing well. I hope it can translate into another tough area game come Thursday against Wicksburg.”

Juhmir Lampley was the other Bulldog to finish in double figures with 10 points , while Jaidyn Wilson and Kevon Harris both finished with nine. In all, the Bulldogs had seven of their nine players find the bottom of the net.

“I talk to them about positive minutes coming off the bench,” Holland said. “Whether you’re rebounding the ball or scoring points, that is what I preach to them about. That was my mindset heading into area, to have a lot of players contribute in different ways.”

Backed by Rouse’s 10 points in the opening quarter, the Bulldogs jumped out to an 18-14 lead going into the second. That lead mushroomed in the second quarter when the Bulldogs defense held the Raiders to six points, giving Pike County a 32-20 lead at halftime.

The Bulldogs needed every bit of that 12-point cushion in the second half. The Bulldogs scored 28 second half points and when the game moved into the fourth quarter they led by nine points.  In the fourth quarter, the Raiders scored 21 points and put the pressure on the Bulldogs until the final minute.

“Their players got hot,” Holland said. “Coaches told me they could really shoot the ball well from the outside. They got hot the last few minutes of the third and into the fourth they couldn’t miss anything.”

With the win, the Bulldogs shift their attention to Friday night when they travel to take on Wicksburg in another area showdown.

“Everybody said they are going to play hard at their place,” Holland said. “We are looking forward to a grueling type of contest. They can shoot the ball from the outside and still go inside. We are looking for another tough area game on the road.”

Tip-off between the Bulldogs and the Panthers is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m.