If defense wins championships, then the Quitman Bulldogs have a good shot at a successful season. The Bulldogs capped three days of basketball with a championship win, 35-30 over host White Oak last Saturday. The tournament wins raised the Quitman season record to 6-1.

In the championship game, Quitman raced to a 25-9 first half lead and held on with solid defense in the second half to take the victory.

“We came out and took the 25-9 lead at the half and we just turned cold in the second half. Our defense came through for us in the second half and actually during the entire tournament,” Coach Cody Wilson said. “Our kids have really bought into playing defense. They don’t care who scores for us, they all just want to win and they know defense will carry us a long way.”

In the championship game, Levi Thompson led the well-balanced attack with 11 points while Hunter Jacobs and Thomas Sabedra each had eight, Brady Floyd seven and Ethan Presley two.

The Bulldogs opened the tournament with decisive 56-24 win over Linden-Kildare. The Bulldogs surged to a 35-14 lead at the half and coasted to the win in the second half. Levi Thompson led the balanced offensive attack with 12 points while Carter Smith added eight, Thomas Sebedra added six, and Garin Kisinger, Landon Richey and Brandon Hayes with five apiece. Payton Sapp and Hunter Jacobs added four each with Brady Floyd scoring three and Ethan Presley and Noah Emmons each two points.

In the second round, the Bulldogs knocked off perennial playoff contender Clarksville 55-42. The Bulldogs used a strong third quarter to spark the win. After taking a 20-11 lead at the half, Quitman roared back with a 19-11 third quarter edge for a 39-22 lead into the fourth stanza. Thompson led scoring with 22 points with Sapp adding 11. Sapp hit 8-10 free throws and sank a triple.

In the semi-final game, the Bulldogs took on South Texas power Kountze and won a close 69-65 game over the Lions.

“It was one of the best overall games we have played this year and it was against a really quality opponent in Kountze,” Wilson noted. 

The Bulldogs and Lions were hot the first half, and the teams ended up 40-40 at the half. The second half turned into a defensive affair with Quitman taking a 29-25 scoring advantage.

Quitman’s well-balanced offensive attack was led by Thompson with 22 points with Jacobs and Floyd each adding 16 points and Sabedra scoring eight. Quitman hit 10 three-point shots with Thompson hitting three and Jacobs, Floyd and Sebedra making two apiece. Sapp added one. Quitman hit 65% from the field on two-point shots going 17-26. 

After playing at Edgewood Tuesday, Quitman travels to Blue Ridge for tournament play this weekend. District play will begin Jan. 3 with a game at home against Harmony.