Decatur triumphs over Dunwoody for first region victory

The Decatur High School boys’ varsity basketball team achieved their first regional win over Dunwoody High School in a 69-59 victory over the Wildcats on Dec. 2 at Dunwoody High School.

The Bulldogs took an 11-1 lead early in the first quarter before the Wildcats had to call a timeout to stop the run. Minutes after, Dunwoody guard Emerson Mitchell hit a three pointer to get the Wildcats first field goal of the game.

With three minutes left in the quarter Mitchell went on a 5-0 run with the help of Forward Jackson Vanke, who hit a free throw to bring the score to 15-11, but two buckets from Decatur’s Jason Wellborn and Eli Beard pushed the score to 19-11 at the end of the first.

Mitchell scored all but two-points for the Wildcats to keep the score close in the second quarter, but multiple buckets from the Bulldogs help them keep a 37-30 lead at halftime.

Decatur went on an 8-2 run at the start of the third quarter with buckets from guards Bryce Howson and Beard to make the score 45-32, but Dunwoody retaliated with a run of their own with four minutes to go in the quarter to close the gap back to a 10-point deficit. Wellborn came down the court and hit a three with a minute left to up their lead to 13 points, but moments later Mitchell made a drove to the paint for a layup plus the foul to make the score 56-46 going into the fourth.

Early in the fourth quarter, Dunwoody cut the deficit to six with buckets from Mitchell and Brennan Smith to bring the score to 50-56 but eight consecutive points from Decatur’s Tobias Brinkley and Isaiah Wright pushed the score to 64-52. Five points from Dunwoody’s Holden Verlander cut the deficit to seven but Brinkley and Wright would end the game with layups to seal the victory.

Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points on the night in the loss against Decatur.

GIRLS:

The Lady Bulldogs rolled past the Dunwoody Lady Wildcats 54-34, securing their first regional victory of the season.

An 11-0 run by Decatur at the start of the game gave them the lead. Dunwoody’s Makayla Tarver stopped the bleeding to give the Lady Wildcats their first points of the game. After the bucket, Dunwoody went on a 5-0 run led by Tarver to bring the score within four, but Decatur’s Bailey Butler would stop the run with a three ball to up the score difference to 10.  A three by Decatur’s Nadiya Mohamed ended the first quarter with the score being 19-9.

Dunwoody came out firing in the second with points coming from Melaina Allen to cut the score to 19-14. Decatur retaliated with two threes coming from their guard Mohamed and Kendale Lanier to widen the gap. A basket from Allen and a free throw by Tarver were the last points the Wildcats scored before Decatur ended the quarter with two layups to make the score 29-17 at half.

Coming out of half both teams would exchange buckets until Decatur went on an 11-5 run led by Moahmed and Leighlen Lucas to up the score to 42-28 at the end of the of third quarter.

The Lady Bulldogs beat the Dunwoody in the fourth quarter 12-6 with points coming from Lucy Wallace and Zolaa Vanwho scored five and four points respectively in the quarter. A final push from Allen would cut the deficit to 16 but three pointer by Lanier sealed the win for Decatur.

Moahmed led Decatur with 13 points in the victory over Dunwoody.