Coldspring hosted the New Waverly Bulldogs on Friday night in a tightly contested district matchup that featured momentum swings and a strong second-half push by the visiting Bulldogs. Coldspring held the advantage at halftime, leading 27-21, and appeared poised to add another win on their home court.
New Waverly regrouped during the break and returned with a renewed defensive focus, working to slow Coldspring’s high-energy offense. The Bulldogs matched the Trojans point for point in the third quarter, each team scoring 12 points, as New Waverly steadily chipped away at the deficit.
The turning point came in the fourth quarter, where the Bulldogs took control of the game. New Waverly outscored Coldspring 21-8 in the final period, using defensive pressure and timely scoring to pull away and secure a 54-45 road victory.
Despite the loss, Coldspring provided several highlights on the night. Early in the first quarter, Joel Houston energized the home crowd with a clean dunk that brought fans to their feet. Decoriyon Barns led the Trojans with 10 points and went 2-for-3 from the free-throw line. Kayon Washington added 8 points, while Regan Leasman and Blake Maier each contributed 5 points.
On Feb. 3, the Trojans fell to Anderson-Shiro 58-53.
On Feb. 3, the rematch between the Pirates and Liberty Panthers ended like it did in January, with the Panthers falling to Shepherd 72-46.
Shepherd set the tone early, jumping out to a 24-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Pirates’ full-court pressure proved difficult for Liberty to counter, disrupting offensive rhythm and forcing the Panthers to work hard for scoring opportunities. Despite Liberty’s efforts, Shepherd maintained steady control on both ends of the floor throughout the first half.
One notable factor in the game was Liberty’s defensive approach in the post. Shepherd’s Brayden White was able to establish himself inside, as Liberty did not consistently double- or triple-team the Pirates’ leading post player. This allowed White to score efficiently around the basket and make a strong impact on the boards.
By midway through the second quarter, with the outcome becoming clearer, Shepherd Head Coach Bennett began rotating underclassmen into the lineup to give them valuable varsity-level experience. Shepherd carried a 44-24 lead into halftime and continued to mix in younger players throughout the second half while maintaining pressure and pace.
Following the game, Brayden White said, “We wanted to make a statement early in the game and have it stand throughout the game.” Brayson Goodman added, “We had a great workout on Monday preparing for this game, and we knew how important it was for us.” Ben Coyle echoed that mindset, stating, “We really needed this game and worked hard to maintain the pressure on Liberty.”
White led all scorers with 22 points and went 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. Ben Coyle added 17 points while shooting 2-for-4 at the line, and Brayson Goodman finished with 11 points and was perfect from the stripe at 2-for-2.
On Friday, the Pirates lost to Hargrave 64-42.
Top producer in the game was Brayden White with 11 points and 7 rebounds.
