By By Chandler Myers
Escambia County dropped another region game this time at the hands of the Gulf Shores Dolphins who invaded the Blue Devils’ gym and won 53-42 Friday night.
The Blue Devils (6-8, 0-2) were pushed down early as the Dolphins grabbed an early lead in the first half and held it throughout the game.
Blue Devils Head Coach Tim Moorer said his team never found a rhythm during the contest.
The Blue Devils were led in the game by guard Cedric Pierce who scored a team-high 16 points, while recording three assists and two rebounds.
In the first quarter, the Blue Devils kept the game close, but fell behind as Gulf Shores outscored them 14-13.
The Dolphins extended their lead in the second quarter by suffocating the Blue Devils’ offense into scoring four points, while they added 13 to their total. At halftime, the Dolphins led 27-17.
After halftime, the competition was tighter than the first half, but the hosting Blue Devils could not cut into the lead already built by Gulf Shores.
In the third quarter, the Blue Devils battled the Dolphins to a 10-10 tie to make the score 37-27 heading into the final period.
Gulf Shores put the nail in the coffin in the fourth quarter as they extended their lead and outscored the Blue Devils 16-13 to pull off the 53-42 region win.
Moorer said his team needs to make adjustments to improve their success.
Blue Devils in on the scoring included forward Eric Davis with seven points and two assists; guard Rayvon Madison with five points and three rebounds; Devante Brown with six points and nine rebounds; Chris Walker with two points and Quinton Craft with two points, two rebounds and a steal.
The Blue Devils next game is Thursday at Gulf Shores. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.