New Brockton dedicates gym, loses area games

The New Brockton High School basketball program dedicated its gym in honor of longtime NBHS basketball coach Charles Cole Jan. 27 in a special ceremony prior to the Gamecocks' 67-58 loss against Elba in Charles B. Cole Gymnasium.

"The ceremony was great," NBHS basketball coach Anthony Carter said. "I was very pleased with the turnout. I appreciate the way Elba conducted themselves and were very supportive. That means so much on a night like tonight."

Elba scored the first five points of the game before New Brockton responded and eventually pulled to within 7-4 before the Tigers went on an 8-2 run. 

Max Weeks hit a free throw late in the first quarter, and Elba led 15-7 when the second quarter started.

The Tigers scored the first five points and led 20-7 before DT Adams ended the run.

"We both came out flat, Elba picked it up a little bit and we got down," Carter said. "They just executed and out-hustled us. They just flat-out out-hustled us tonight."

The Gamecocks went on a 5-1 run before Elba hit a 3 to take a 26-15 lead.

NBHS scored the next five points before the Tigers finished the first half on a 7-2 run to take a 33-22 lead into the locker room.

"It's just a matter of execution," Carter said. "We turned the ball over. We just didn't trust our teammates tonight. We've got to trust. We've got to execute."

New Brockton pulled to within 39-29 early in the third quarter, but a 6-3 Elba run put the Tigers up 45-32.

They built a 51-37 lead and hit a 3 to take a 54-37 lead at the end of the third frame. 

The Gamecocks got a spark early in the fourth and started the quarter on a 10-2 run to cut Elba's lead to nine at a 56-47 margin.

Carter sent five players to the scorer's table to enter the game at one point, and the players on the court rallied.

"We get three straight turnovers so I sit five up there," he said. "We score, get a stop, score, get a stop, score, get a stop and Elba calls a time out. I put those five (players) back. We clawed back within six."

New Brockton trailed 58-49 before Adams hit a 3 to pull NBHS within six, and the Gamecocks called a timeout with 4:47 left.

"You try not to second guess yourself," Carter said. "When we hit that basket to get within six, I call a timeout to get their minds right. I'm wondering should I have let them keep playing? We kind of teeter-tottered right there at the end. We've got to hit the guy (who's) open. We've got to find the guy who comes out and hits an open jump shot. We've got to trust that guy, go back to him and not come away from him. That's the main thing. We've got to play smarter basketball."

Elba expanded its lead to seven points out of the timeout, and finished the game on a 4-2 run.

Adams led with 25 points.

Lady Gamecocks lose

The Lady Gamecocks lost 48-16 to Elba despite a close start.

"You couldn't have asked for a better first quarter from our girls," Carter said. "I think it's the same thing with the girls. They've got to start trusting each other. It's sad we play, we do these things in practice and we can't carry them over."

New Brockton had a 4-3 lead before Elba went on an 11-2 run to lead 14-6 after one quarter.

The Lady Tigers shut out NBHS 9-0 to take a 23-6 halftime lead.

The teams traded baskets to start the third before Elba went on a 14-0 run to take a 39-8 lead before Seven Hodges hit a 3. New Brockton trailed 39-11 after the third quarter. 

Elba led 46-11 later in the fourth before Dashia' Nelson drained a 3-pointer. She then hit another shot before Elba scored the game's final basket.

Nelson led the Lady Gamecocks with five points, and Brandi Donaldson followed with four. Hodges had three.

Jayla Gray and Paula McKenna each had two.

"We've basically told those girls, 'You've played 15 basketball games,'" Carter said. "'We don't care if you're seventh grade or eighth grade. You can't keep doing the same thing. If you keep doing the same thing, you get the same results. If you want something different, you've got to do something different.' We've just got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball."