Netherlands posts players power Bulldogs to win Memorial
A dominant second half through the Netherlands propelled the Bulldogs to a 61-42 victory over Memorial in Port Arthur on Tuesday evening.
The Netherlands went into halftime, with a but Bulldog 29-21 run to start the completed half on the road to second the Titans 22-9 in the third quarter.
Memorial great man Ke’Andre Jones went down early in the first quarter and the Bulldogs greats took advantage. Tripp Parker from the Netherlands had a game-high 26 points, including 14 in the third quarter.
“He’s a tough guy,” said Netherlands Head Coach Brian Engels about Parker.
“He’s from Port Arthur and he’s a tough guy. He just plays tough. He’s bad. “Sometimes it’s ugly, but we’re going for it. He’s a 1975 throwback. He’s not a high-flyer. He’s just a basketball player and he goes and gets it done.”
Fellow Netherlands great CJ Guidry was second on the team with eight points, all of which came in the second quarter.
Engels said his team’s two post players give the Bulldogs an advantage that many teams cannot handle.
“(Guidry) had some great rebounds for us”, Engels. “It’s fun. Fortunately, they have played a lot together and they know each other well. They complement each other well.”
Engels said he and his coaches laid on a hot start to the second half, some going into Tuesday’s performance.
“We talked to the kids about an initial three minutes and it helped us tonight,” he said.
For Memorial next to Jah’mar Sanders the team with 14 points.
Then, on Friday, the Netherlands will receive Crosby, Memorial over the highways to take on Beaumont United.
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