By By Lori Dann
After a string of games against larger, ranked teams, the Escambia Academy Cougars were ready to pick on someone their own size.
So when EA finally dropped back down to a Class 1A competition last week, the Cougars were able a pair of convincing area victories over Demopolis and Catherine to even their season record at 5-5.
In the Demopolis game, EA started slow as coach Chad Prewett elected to start his second team players. The Cougars led just 8-7 at the end of the first period before outscoring Demopolis 15-7 in the second period, 24-17 in the third and 17-12 in the fourth for a 64-43 victory.
Josh Lilly was the game's top scorer with 17 points, while Justin Shirley continued his impressive play with 15 points and eight steals and Justin Beasley added 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Also scoring were Ben Hardy with five points; Russ Hayles with four; Josh Davis with three; Mark Hall, Daniel Alaniz and Jonathan Jay with two each; and Josh Vanlandingham with one.
In Monday's game' against Catherine, the Cougars raced out to a 22-4 lead and never looked back. By halftime, they held a commanding 40-11 advantage and eventually settled for a 68-26 victory.
Beasley had a big game for EA, finishing with 22 points and six rebounds. Shirley contributed 14 points, followed by Alaniz with eight, Lilly and Hardy with six each, Davis and Jonathan Jay with four each and Hall and Clay Corman with two apiece. Hall also had seven rebounds and five assists, while Hardy added five steals.
EA will face Grove Hill at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Monroe Academy Christmas Tournament.