Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Two cross-county rivals collided for a pair of key area matchups when Florala welcomed Pleasant Home in the final regular season games for both teams on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The games were originally scheduled for Friday, Jan. 24, before last week’s winter storm pushed them back five days.

Florala 63, Pleasant Home 52
Florala (15-1, 6-0 1A Area 2) won its ninth straight game and claimed the regular season area title with a 63-52 win against Pleasant Home (14-3, 4-2) in the varsity boys’ game.

The Wildcats will host the area tournament on Saturday, Feb. 1, and the Eagles will be the two seed.

The opening period was a back-and-forth battle as the two teams traded the lead several times. Dalton Jackson got the home scoring started with a quick basket. John Luke Colvin and Jackson Hawkins knocked down three-pointers and gave Pleasant Home a 6-2 lead. The hosts answered back and tied the score with buckets by Jackson and Rayshon Coleman. After Jackson put his side in front 8-6, Devonte Purifoy saw the lead change hands again and made the score 10-8. Coleman scored the final eight points of the frame and helped lead Florala to a 16-12 lead at the end of one.

Brody Bryan cut the margin to 16-14 early in the second period, but five points from Coleman opened up a 21-14 lead with 4:14 to go in the first half. Bryan made his second basket of the period, and Dillan Purifoy got in the scoring column with a bucket. The Eagles saw their offense cool down with just six points. The Wildcats stayed hot with 13 more led by Coleman’s eight and took a 29-18 lead at halftime.

Coleman stretched the margin out to 35-18 with a three at the 5:15 mark of the third period. The two sides traded baskets until Jackson found the hoop for two, and Coleman threw down a dunk padding the lead out to 19 at 43-24. Jacskon and Elijah McMeans each posted four in the frame. Devonte Purifoy swished consecutive threes in the final minute for Pleasant Home and trimmed the gap down to 43-30 at the end of three.

Colvin opened the final period with his second three and had six in the period as the offenses cranked it into high gear. The Wildcats tallied 20 more as Coleman scored five buckets and led the way in the fourth with 10 points. McMeans notched seven points and added a free throw, while Noah Bryan knocked down a three for Florala. Bryan scored six off a trio of buckets as Devonte Purifoy and Hawkins added four. The Eagles scored a total of 22 but were unable to play catch up and fell short.

Coleman led Florala with 33 points and was followed by Jackson and McMeans who each had 13 points. Bryan paced Pleasant Home with 18 points as Devonte Purifoy had 12, and Colvin contributed 11.

Both teams will compete in the 1A Area 2 Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 1. Pleasant Home will play Kinston at 5 p.m., and tournament host Florala will take on Emmanuel Christian at 6:30 p.m. The two winners will advance to the area championship game scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m.

Lady Wildcats 42, Lady Eagles 33
Three players scored in double digits for the Lady Wildcats (4-12, 3-3 1A Area 2) who avenged an earlier season loss to the Lady Eagles (8-9, 3-3) and earned a 42-33 win in the varsity girls’ game.

The two teams finished the regular season with identical area records and forced a coin toss for their seeds at the area tournament. Pleasant Home won the toss and earned the second seed, while Florala became the third seed.

Larrissa Davis began the game with consecutive home baskets and scored nine points in the opening period. Lily Adams found the hoop twice, while Chloe Bush and Emma Grace Anderson also scored for Pleasant Home. Abbi Boldin hit a three-pointer and grabbed five as Florala took a 14-8 lead at the end of one.

Boldin hit two free throws and made her second three to begin the second period. Davis went one-for-two at the foul and pushed the lead to 20- 8. Two free throws from Mollie Jae Wiggins and a bucket by Bush closed the score to 20-12. Anderson went three-for-four at the line in the frame, while Si’Niya Purifoy also converted a free throw for the Lady Eagles. Murray and Elizabeth Sanders added two foul shots each and helped the Lady Wildcats take a 24-16 lead at halftime.

Pleasant Home began making a comeback bid in the third period paced by Anderson who had three baskets. Davis also added three, while Murray found the hoop for two. Florala pushed the lead to 28-22 before three visiting baskets tied the score at 28-28. Boldin drained her third three as the hosts scored four and took a 32- 28 lead at the end of three.

Lyla Watson of the Lady Eagles made the only field goal from either side in the final period. The remaining points from the two teams all came at the free-throw line. Murray went eight-for-10 for the Lady Wildcats as Davis and Boldin each went one-for-two. The visitors only tallied five in the frame with Anderson going two-for-four.

Boldin and Davis were the top scorers for the Lady Wildcats with 14 points each. Murray was next with 12 points. Anderson notched a team-best 13 points for the Lady Eagles. Adams and Bush each posted six.

Pleasant Home and Florala played a rematch on Friday, Jan. 31 in the area tournament at Kinston for the right to compete in the 1A Area 2 championship game on Monday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m.