WCMS boys use defense to claim first win of 2004
Monday night Warren County Middle School’s eighth-grade boys basketball team started the new year off right by rolling over Tullahoma West 48-20 in the WCMS gym.
With both teams just returning from Christmas break, the game started a little sluggish. Kyle Mullican scored the first basket of the night for the Pioneers at the five-minute mark. Turnovers kept Tullahoma off the board for most of the first period until Hunter Culbertson hit a 3-pointer with three minutes left in the period.
Warren County scored two points from the foul line in the last minute of play and held a 6-3 lead by the end of the quarter.
In the second period Warren County’s defense was the turning point of the game. Pressure by the Pioneers resulted in 10 unanswered points as Warren County expanded its lead to 16-3. Tullahoma finally broke its scoring drought with 55 seconds left in the first half with a basket from Culbertson. Chris Weitzel closed out the big second quarter for the Pioneers with a basket as the horn sounded to give Warren County a 19-7 lead.
Lane McCoy and Justin Bouldin provided the offense for the Pioneers in the third period. The duo combined for 14 of Warren County’s 15 points in the period. Tullahoma still had problems with the Pioneers’ speed on defense. Tullahoma West worked the ball in the paint but managed only nine points in the period as the Pioneers lead stood at 34-16 by the end of the period.
The fourth period was all Warren County. The Pioneers ran the floor at will, scoring 14 points in the final quarter. Tullahoma’s offense had no chance in fourth period as Warren County’s defense remained steady holding Tullahoma to four points.
Leading the way for Warren County was Bouldin with 16 points. Donta Weir and Weitzel had eight points each, McCoy and Josh Moore had five points each, Mullican and Travis Young had two points each and Casey Talbert and Clint Newman added one point each. For Tullahoma Culbertson led with 10 points and Josh Greenwood had four points.