Decatur High Basketball Teams Bring it Home

Before his last regular season home game, senior was presented with a ceremonial keepsake basketball encased in plastic.

Jefferson, one of the Bulldogs most prolific scorers ever, proceeded to shoot an unwrapped ball as he normally does, tallying 23 points Friday as the Bulldogs ended their pre-tournament schedule by coldcocking Clarkston High 48-39.

DHS's 18th win, against seven losses, was far from dazzling. The Bulldogs trailed at halftime and did not snuff out the Angoras (7-18) until the waning minutes.

Still, Senior Night was a success for Jefferson, along with , and . Fisher, a transfer from Lakeside High who is regrettably a one-and-done Bulldog, scored 14.

With a football-like mouthpiece poking between his lips, Jefferson was adrenalized from the start. Just six seconds into the game, he sank two free throws. He scored the first eight DHS points.

Toward the end, his alley-oop dunk, off a feed from Fisher, provided the game's exclamation point and pushed DHS safely ahead 48-35.

If not for a defensive switch, the game might have been too close for comfort. Late in the first half, DHS coach Charlie Copp shifted his team out of man-to-man to zone. The Angoras, forced to take jumpshots, misfired repeatedly and managed but two points in the third quarter, 11 for the final half.

In Friday's opener, the DHS girls team (19-6) took down Clarkston 53-24 with a blistering second period. Tied 7-7 after a quarter, the Bulldogs put a 22-0 pasting on the Angoras for the balance of the half and coasted home.

, the girls' version of Trumon Jefferson, poured in 19 points, a routine night for her. Senior , in her regular season farewell, contributed 11.

Both squads will gear up for the Class AA, Region 6 tournament, commencing Monday at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta.

The Decatur girls get rolling Monday at 7 p.m. The boys open Monday or Wednesday night, pending the outcome of this weekend's remaining region games.