West Middle School split the evening with Southside this past week, the girls going over big while the boys came up a bit short despite a huge second quarter run.

The game was over shortly after the opening tip for the visiting Southside girls as they were able to mount no offense, literally, scoring zero points in the first period while their hosts exploded out of the game with Madison Martin scoring nine of her game high 11 in the opening stanza. She went on to lead all scorers on the night and helped her squad get out to a massive 15-0 advantage after one.

Southside was able to get the lid off the basket in the second thanks to Lillian Crutchfield who got five of her team’s seven second quarter points. They were matched, shot for shot by the Lady Bulldogs led by Aniston Farler who had a three-pointer, lifting her squad to a 22-7 half-time advantage.

The third saw Southside again forget were the basket was as only a lone Camryn Langley field goal kept them from getting skunked in the third. Aly Griffith led the Lady Bulldogs in the third with three points as she made several visits to the charity stripe during the stanza.

The fourth period saw the only time Southside was able to outscore their hosts, winning the battle but losing the war in a 10-6 fourth quarter. Alyssa Crook scored four of the Lady Bulldogs’ final points in their 37-19 victory.

Marking the scoring sheets along with Martin against Southside were Alyssa Crook with eight, Aniston Farler and Aly Griffith with five, Emma Martin with four and Tess Barton with two.

The Bulldogs suffered the same fate as did the Southside girls as Alex Antoniak’s three first quarter points was all that stood between West and a first quarter shut out as they got behind the eight-ball 12-3 after one.

However, Coach Kelly Pyburn lit a fire under her squad going into the second as they came out and routed their guests 16-2 thanks to seven from Isaac Brown and six from John Elis. The scoring spree left West with a 19-14 advantage going to the locker room at half.

Their comeback was ruined in the third as Wyatt Bowling went wild on West in the third, scoring 11 of his game high 18 in the third. West was only able to counter with five from Brown and an Antoniak three.

Trailing 29-27 going into the final quarter, West was unable to mount a run, held to just five points while Southside tallied 16 to seal a 46-32 victory. West will get another crack at Southside on Dec. 17.

Helping with scoring were Isaac Brown with 14, Alex Antoniak with eight, John Ellis with six, Noah Evans with three and Jamison Marler with one.