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Escambia County fell 86-67 to Tate (Fla.) tonight in regular season basketball action in Cornell Torrence Gymnasium in Atmore.

Both teams played close in the first half, but the Tigers pulled away in the final 16. THS outscored ECHS 39-29.

Blue Devils basketball coach Rafael Adams said the team didn’t play well on defense, and rebounding was an issue.

“We missed a lot of free throws,” Adams said. “Everything is going to be corrected. We had a long talk in the locker room on what we need to do, and how we need to do it. We’ve got to fix the little things. They (Tate) capitalized on every mistake we made.”

With the loss, the Blue Devils fall to 6-3 on the season. ECHS visits Hillcrest-Evergreen Tuesday night.

Adams said in the second half, he should’ve gone back to a 1-3-1 defense. ECHS played more man-to-man in the second half.

“We should’ve went zone,” he said. “They were a little better than; they were a good team. I was just playing catch up. I was trying to get (the score) back up.

“I take full responsibility, but we’re going to bounce back and get it right,” he said.

Atmore and Tate were feeling each other out early in the contest. The Tigers led 9-6 on a rebound and putback by John Hooker. He added another layup a short time later to make it a five-point game.

Escambia County’s KJ Taylor added a layup on the next offensive series.

However, THS led 15-10 going into the second period.

Tate then started utilizing an outside perimeter-type shooting offense, led by Willie Pettway. He nailed two 3-pointers during the second period.

Taylor and Bull Bolar traded buckets soon after to cut it back to single digits.

With more than 4 minutes to go in the first half, both teams found itself at the free-throw line.

In the last 3:49 of the first half, ECHS went 7-of-12 from the stripe.

The Tigers led 37-29 at halftime.

Escambia County’s Cali McCants added a three-point play early in the third period.

Tate then went ahead by 12 on a 3-pointer from Pettway with more than 6 minutes left.

THS led 60-48 at the end of the third period.

Soon, the Blue Devils will begin Class 4A, Area 2 play against Jackson and W.S. Neal.

Adams said he wants the team to play more like a team down the stretch.

“When we are doing well, it’s all good,” he said. “If some adversity hits us, we kind of fall apart. I want us to be more of a team down the stretch.”

Bolar led ECHS with 25 points; Tai Henderson added 15; and Taylor added 12.

Marcus Cooper led THS with 24 points. Pettway and Keontrez Montgomery added 16 points each.

Cooper scored 18 of his points in the second half.

In junior varsity boys action, THS won 58-25.