The Maplesville High School boys basketball team dominated the court against Billingsley High School, securing a decisive victory of 58-21 on January 22 during a Class 1A Area 7 rivalry match. The team showcased a powerful performance, maintaining control throughout the game.
Maplesville head coach Undra Rush noted some areas for improvement, despite the win. “We played kind of slow at the end; we started out pretty good,” he said. “Defense was flat, and offense was flat. We got the win, so I guess that’s all that matters. We got to go to him and fix some stuff in certain areas.”
The game commenced with an unusual incident: a technical foul on a Billingsley player for dunking during warmups. This led to Maplesville starting with free throws, with Chris Simon making 1 of 2 attempts to give his team an early lead. Following this, Nehemiah McCary quickly added to the score with a putback, establishing a momentum that would carry through the match.
Billingsley managed to score from a goaltending call, but Maplesville swiftly responded with six unanswered points, taking the score to 9-2. Kyle Boice offered a moment of hope for Billingsley with an and-one layup, reducing the deficit to 9-5. “Well, I thought we didn’t play that bad; we just didn’t shoot the ball well,” reflected Billingsley head coach Tyson McLean. “You know they’re tough because they got some height on us, so we got to do a better job getting a body on them.”
The first quarter concluded with Maplesville leading 15-5, thanks in part to an impressive Eli Hubbert three-pointer and another from Aiden Abbott. The second quarter saw Maplesville extend its lead, with Ty Bailey contributing two three-pointers and a layup, alongside additional points from Abbott. By halftime, Maplesville had established a comfortable lead of 34-15.
As the second half progressed, the Red Devils continued to expand their advantage. The final score settled at 58-21, capping off a strong showing by the team. Abbott emerged as the leading scorer with 15 points, followed by McCary with 10 points, Simon with 9 points, and both Bailey and Pearce Yeargan contributing 8 points each. For Billingsley, Boice led the scoring with 9 points.
This victory marks a significant achievement for Maplesville, reinforcing their position in the competitive landscape of high school basketball. Coach Rush’s focus on addressing the team’s performance highlights a commitment to continuous improvement as they move forward in the season.
