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Pleasant Home hosted Opp for a varsity basketball doubleheader on Friday, Dec. 1, and took both games.

Girls
Pleasant Home battled back from a slow start and rallied in the second half for a 30-22 win over Opp in the varsity girls’ game.

Jalisa Smith, Ashlyn Henderson, and Cuba Wiggins each had a basket in the first period. Hailey Ward scored the only two points for the Lady Eagles as the Lady Bobcats took a 6-2 lead at the end of one.

Wiggins added four more points in the second including two free throws. Dionna Stoudemire chipped in three points, while Kenli Catrett earned two and rounded out the nine points. Ward hit another field goal, and Siniya Purifoy got in the scoring column with a basket for Pleasant Home. Opp carried a 15-6 lead into the break.

The Lady Eagles came out on fire with 13 combined points from Ward and Briley Douglas in the third. Ward knocked down a three and had seven in the period. Douglas made three baskets from the floor. Henderson and Catrett accounted for all seven points from the Lady Bobcats, who clung to a 22-19 lead after three.

Five different Pleasant Home players scored in the final period and kept Opp scoreless. Ward led the way with four points in the fourth. Presley Kelley, Emma Grace Anderson, and Douglas all found the hoop for two. Purifoy was one-of-two at the line.

Ward paced the Lady Eagles in double digits with 15 points. Douglas collected eight in the comeback win.

Wiggins led the Lady Bobcats with six points. Henderson and Catrett each contributed five points in the loss.

Pleasant Home moved to 2-3 with the win. Opp fell to 0-2 on the season.

“I think our team showed some grit in the second half being down by as much as seven or eight points. They kept chipping away and eventually were able to tie the game up and take the lead about halfway through the fourth quarter. We increased that lead to eight by the end of the game. We are still making mistakes, but we are trying to eliminate those mistakes at every practice and at every game. We have to make better decisions in order for us to improve. I’m proud of the effort and the win tonight. We can definitely grow from this,” PHS Head Coach Tony Wilson said.

Boys
Pleasant Home raced out to a quick lead and used a late surge to hold off Opp, 56-41, in the varsity boys’ contest.

Jackson Hawkins torched the net from beyond the arc twice in the first period and opened the game with eight points. John Luke Colvin scored three field goals. Vance Kelley added three followed by Brody Bryan’s two. Dorian Harris had six points, while Damirian Thompson and Alan Jones each added a bucket. The Eagles took a 19-10 lead over the Bobcats after one.

Dillan Purifoy led the charge in the second with four points. Bryan took three with the final four being split between Kelley and Colvin. Pleasant Home upped its lead to 30-15 at halftime when Opp only managed a three by Thompson and two-pointer from Reed Adams.

Smith drove a comeback attempt in the third with seven points for Opp including a three-pointer. Harris also hit a long-range three and tallied five in the period. DJ Hines scored a pair of field goals with Jones adding one from the floor. Purifoy got going with nine points and was five-of-six at the foul line. Bryan added the other two points and helped Pleasant Home carry a 41-33 lead into the fourth.

Hawkins and Bryan each scored four points in the final period, while Colvin sank a three. Kelley and Purifoy rounded out a balanced effort of 15 for the Eagles. The Bobcats earned three-pointers from Hines and Thompson, but it was not enough down the stretch.

Purifoy was one of four players to finish the game with double digits and led Pleasant Home with 15 points. Hawkins was next at 12 points as Bryan and Colvin followed with 11.

Harris grabbed top scoring honors for Opp with 11 points. Hines and Thompson each followed at nine and eight points, respectively, and Smith rounded out the scoring with seven.

Pleasant Home improved to 5-1 on the season. Opp dropped to 1-1 on the year.

Both teams are back in action on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Eagles host Florala, while the Bobcats head to Geneva. Games are scheduled to get underway at 4:30 p.m.