Cross county showdown: Brantley and Charles Henderson too much for rival Bulldogs

Published 9:18 pm Tuesday, January 22, 2019

The Charles Henderson Trojans got the best of rival Pike County on Monday when they knocked off the Bulldogs 63-41 in Troy.

The win for the Trojans improves their record on the season to 16-10. The loss for the Bulldogs drops them to 12-6.

The result ties the season series at one game a piece.

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“For the community, it’s a big deal,” said Trojan head coach Doug Branson. “It was an exciting atmosphere. It was a fun game and it’s nice to come out of there with a win, especially a 22-point win. That was not expected coming into the game, but our guys played well.”

The Trojans and Bulldogs went back and forth in the opening quarter on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs held a brief 6-4 lead after Kevon Harris sunk a basket. The Trojans then embarked on a modest 8-0 run to pull ahead 12-6. Marcus Grant put the finishing touches on the run with a long-distance three, sending the Trojan faithful into a frenzy.

By quarter’s end the Trojans had a eight-point lead at 20-12.

The Trojans scored the first four points of the second quarter, giving Charles Henderson their largest lead of the half at nine.

The Trojans reached the nine-point advantage two more times in the opening half before going into the locker room at halftime holding a 35-26 lead.

Keonte Brantley led the Trojans with nine first-half points. Andres Burney led the Bulldogs with eight points.

The Trojan defense clamped down in the second half, beginning in the third quarter when they allowed just five points from Burney and Jaidyn Wilson.

Grant knocked down another three-pointer on his way to seven third-quarter points and the Trojans entered the fourth holding a 51-31 lead.

The Trojans scored 12 fourth-quarter points while holding the Bulldogs to just 10.

Brantley finished the game with 12 points, while Grant finished with 13 points. Devin Parker finished with 12 and Sistrunk with 10.

Burney led the way for the Bulldogs with 10 points, while Kevon Harris had eight and Wilson had seven.

The Trojans will be back in action on Friday when they close out area play at home against Rehobeth. The Bulldogs will also close out area play on Friday at home against Providence Christian.