Hixson Gets First District Win With 73-45 Romp Over Howard

Wins have not come easy for basketball teams from Howard and Hixson this winter and district wins have been even fewer and further in between.

But all faces were smiling in the Hixson gym on Tuesday night as the Wildcats posted their first win in District 6-AA for the season and it wasn't close.

Breaking away from a 31-19 halftime lead, the Wildcats scored early and often in the second half as they pulled away for the 73-45 victory, improving Hixson's record to 9-10 overall and 1-6 in 6-AA.

Howard falls to 4-13 overall and 2-6 in 6-AA.

Hixson's district record is somewhat misleading.  Winless before Tuesday but in virtually every game, the Wildcats finally got over the hump.  And nobody was any happier than first-year coach Lawanza Crutcher.

"It seems like we've been in every game we've played, but we've had a tough time finishing at times," he said while relaxing in his office after the game ended.

"That's been our biggest problem all year, but I'm proud that we were able to stay with our game plan and stay focused.  We're maturing and starting to get it, but I felt like our defense set the tone tonight.

"We got off to a lead early and were able to maintain that pressure the rest of the way.  And we focused on our execution in the third quarter, but we made a few shots early and that really helped our confidence.  I'm really proud of our effort tonight.  Our hard work is paying off," he concluded.

Justice Alameda scored the first five points as Hixson led from the opening whistle.  A three-point play from Bravon Martin at the 5:17 mark extended the Wildcat lead to 10-2 before Sayyid Muhammed scored five straight points as Howard got to within 10-7.

It never got any closer as the difference was 10 (21-11) when the first quarter ended,

Six straight points by the Hustlin' Tigers near the end of the second period trimmed Hixson's lead to 26-19, but William Nelson scored on a short jumper in the lane and Chandler Abbott converted a three-point play the old fashioned way in the final minute as Hixson's lead was a dozen at the break.

 If there was any doubt about who was going to win this game at that point, it was all but erased in the first 90 seconds of the second half as Hixson scored the first seven points to double the score with 6:29 left in the third.

And then in the final three minutes of the quarter, the Wildcats used an 11-0 run to extend a 45-29 lead to 56-29 before Desmond Strickland scored on a drive down the lane for a 25-point spread with one quarter remaining.

Tevarus Weaver scored on a putback midway through the final quarter for a 70-35 lead as the mercy rule took effect at that point.

Terry Moore's 3 with just over three minutes remaining gave Hixson its biggest lead at 73-35 and while Howard finished the game on a 10-0 run, the outcome had long been decided.

Howard coach Walter "Moose" McGary wasn't very happy when the final horn sounded.

"I guess that we need to start over from scratch as it's back to square one for this team.  We don't have any heart and no leaders.  Without that and a little leadership, it's hard to win.  I thought we were a better team than this, but I guess that we're not," he added.

Nelson scored 24 points to lead Hixson while Abbott was also in double figures with 14.

Morton and Alameda  both finished with nine points while Keyshawn Bradley tossed in eight.

Strickland was the only Howard player in double figures as he finished with 12.  He also grabbed eight rebounds as Howard won the battle of the boards by an unofficial 29-19 total.

Nelson, Weaver and Morton all had five rebounds for Hixson.

HIXSON GIRLS 51, HOWARD 22: This game was never close as the Lady Wildcats bolted to a 10-0 lead at the start and never looked back.

T.T. Staten scored 14 points to lead Hixson while Taht Yates was next with 10.  Jada Johnson finished with nine while Jermeria Dortch had eight.

Kishayla Eberhardt scored nine points for Howard while teammate Antqunisha Lane added eight.

GIRLS SUMMARY

HOWARD  5  2  5  10  --  22

HIXSON  12  15  13  11  --  51

HOWARD (22) -- Hubbley, Rollins 1, Powell 2, Williams 2, Eberhardt 9, Lane 8, Neal, Martin.

HIXSON (51) -- White, Dortch 8, Staten 14, Johnson 9, Yates 10, Stanfield 7, Swafford 2, Duvall, Taylor, Bryant, Jett.

3-POINT GOALS: Howard 1 (Lane); Hixson 3 (Johnson, Yates, Stanfield).

BOYS SUMMARY

HOWARD 11  8  12  14  --  45

HIXSON  21  10  25  17  --  73

HOWARD (45) -- Stallion 2, Muhammed 8, Hill 4, Strickland 12, Johnson 5, Ramsey 2, Hobdley 4, Thorne 4, Hewitt 2, Hatcher 2.

HIXSON  (73) -- J. Alameda 9, Nelson 24, Abbott 14, Weaver 4, Morton 9, King, L. Alameda, Moore 5, Bradley 8, Landis, Buckner.

3-POINT GOALS: Howard 2 (Strickland, Johnson); Hixson 7 (J. Alameda, Nelson 2, Abbott 2, Bradley 2).

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)