It remains to be seen if defense will win Pike County High School a championship, but it won the Bulldogs their second game of the season Tuesday night.

Pike County held Highland Home High School to just 40 points, holding the Flying Squadron to single-digit scoring totals in all but one period of play, to take a 62-40 win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

&uot;Normally we are known for playing tough defense,&uot; Pike County head basketball coach Danny Suber said.

&uot;I’ve always told them to play hard on defense.&uot;

According to Suber, defense has been his teams strength this season.

&uot;That’s been key for us,’ Suber said.

&uot;We usually get a late start because we are playing football while most people are getting started at basketball, so our offense is usually a little slow to get started.

&uot;It takes a while to come around, but I keep telling our guys that if we play tough defense and really get after it then we can win some games.&uot;

The Bulldogs were able to win despite turning the ball over 14 times in the first half.

&uot;We’re still turning the ball over way too much,&uot; Suber said. &uot;We had 14 in the first half alone. You can’t do that and win, but we’re young and our guys are learning.

&uot;I thought the effort was good. Our offense is coming around, and I thought there was a point in the second half where we shot the ball real well.&uot;

Travon Frazier led the Bulldogs’ charge with 16 points.

Moses Griffin added 14 points in the Pike County win.

The Lady Bulldogs dropped their second game of the season Tuesday night with a 51-27 loss to the Flying Squadron.

Pike County kept it close in the first period, ending the period trailing 13-7, but Highland Home poured it on in the second half outscoring Pike County 18-5 to take a 31-12 lead into the halftime intermission.

From there it was all Highland Home as the Flying Squadron outscored the Lady Bulldogs 31-18 in the second half to cruise to the win.

&uot;We still just wait to long to get started,&uot; Pike County head coach Diana Malcolm said. &uot;We decided in about the third quarter that we wanted to play, but by then it was too late.

&uot;We have to realize that it takes four quarters to win a basketball game.

&uot;We’re young and we’re still learning.

&uot;I think we are starting to develop some chemistry that will hopefully help us down the road.&uot;

Kenisha Foster scored five points for the Lady Bulldogs.

Both Pike County squads will be back in action on Friday as part of the Barbour County High School Tournament.