Decatur High Boys Beat McNair, End 3-Game Losing Streak

 Decatur’s boys got a much needed 54-35 win at McNair Tuesday night, their first regional victory in three tries, thereby ending a three-game losing streak.

In the evening’s opener Decatur’s girls kept rolling with a 66-52 decision, their sixth win in seven tries, in a game featuring three technical fouls against McNair.

Although the boys led almost all night, the margin was single digits in the first three quarters, including a 21-16 lead at halftime, and only an eight-point edge after 24 minutes.

 The Bulldogs pulled away in the fourth quarter, thanks largely to senior Kendall Ford making his first Decatur start ever.

With starting point Murad Dillard and reserve guard Tyler Axam out due to illness, Ford played nearly the entire game in scoring nine points with three assists, four steals, five deflections and six rebounds.

Davante Meadows led Decatur with 12 points, while Adarius Lucas had 10, Cordele Jackson seven points and six rebounds and Brett Riley eight points.

The final score proved the longest lead of the night for Decatur, now 4-3 overall.

In the girls game senior point forward Jordan Dillard had a career high 33 points – 13 of those in the third quarter -- along with six rebounds.

Decatur coach Bill Roberts, with a 15-person squad, platooned in three units of five over the first 12 minutes. When the first team was re-inserted midway through the second quarter Decatur went on a 20-point splurge to take a 30-15 lead at halftime.

Freshman point guard Jayla Morrow had 10 points and five steals, junior Kori Anderson had seven points, and freshman Kayla Thomas had six points and six rebounds.

The Bulldogs also received contributions from two who recently joined the team and may prove invaluable additions

Kristin Munson, a 6-3 junior who saw considerable playing time the last two seasons, had two points and five rebounds in getting her first real significant minutes of 2012-13. Meantime, softball star Kendall Lewis scored her first varsity points ever on a deep-corner three in the first quarter.

The strangest aspect of this game was the three technicals, none for the usual reasons. Two were assessed for illegal substitution since one of McNair’s players wasn’t written in the scorebook. Another was for delay of the game’s beginning because McNair’s team captains didn’t participate in the required pre-game meeting with officials at mid court

Decatur is now 6-1 and 3-0 in Region 6-AAA.

Decatur next plays Saturday against Wesleyan at The Spike, girls at 3:00 p.m., the boys at 4:30. Wesleyan’s girls, one of the state’s best teams regardless of classification, is 6-0, while the boys are 3-4.

Friday’s game against St. Pius X has been rescheduled for January 12 because the Pius football team’s playing in the state championship game. Also, the Wall of Honor ceremony originally scheduled for Friday has been changed to February 1.