DHS Boys Shake Off Clarkston 54-36; Girls Dominate 61-19

The Decatur High boys varsity basketball team resembles an old car that sits idle in the garage for a spell. 

It takes awhile to get started. But once cranked up, it can quickly reach a cruising speed.

Shut down for a week and a half by arctic weather conditions, which caused the postponement of three games, the Bulldogs warmed up after a frigid beginning and coasted past Clarkston High 54-36 Tuesday night.

DHS also had trouble shaking off the dust following a 20-day holiday break, struggling then to subdue an inferior foe. Yet it carries a shiny 12-3 record (2-1 in Class 2A, Region 6) into the first makeup game Wednesday night at home against imposing Greater Atlanta Christian.

The Bulldogs endured more than five minutes at Clarkston without a field goal. Leaning on defense, they did not fall precariously behind, and the rims opened wide for their shots during the next two periods.

DHS wound up shooting 59 percent on two-point attempts, many of them layups, and 87 percent on limited foul shooting. The third quarter was particularly efficient, with 10-of-13 marksmanship from the floor on deuces and treys.

Clarkston (5-10, 0-3), whose peculiar nickname (Angoras) represents a particular species of cat, goat or rabbit, scored at a tortoise's pace. The Angoras managed only 21 points for three quarters before controlling the fourth as DHS regressed with 11 turnovers, more than doubling its total.

Trumon Jefferson, the usual leading scorer, yielded to B.J. Fisher, who had 14. Jefferson had 13, matching the total of Xeric Kirk, who was point-less at halftime.

Joshua Whitlock was nearly a one-man band, scoring 19 for Clarkston.

The unscheduled hiatus forced by icy roads was not a total loss for the Bulldogs. They practiced regularly and presumably acquired some pointers Monday at Philips Arena while watching the Atlanta Hawks.

The DHS girls team (12-3, 2-1) had a much easier time Tuesday, overwhelming Clarkston 61-19.

The first quarter closed at 25-3, and the margin was so lopsided entering the fourth quarter that GHSA rules mandating a continuous clock kicked in.

Queen Alford terrorized the Angoras with 35 points, her second-highest total of the season, plus eight rebounds.

Shan Rivers' 10 points does not begin to convey her effectiveness. She expertly controlled the pace on offense, dealing out a half-dozen assists, and set the tempo on high-pressure defense.

Clarkston declined to 2-10, 0-3.

The DHS girls team, ranked eighth in the state Class 2A coaches poll, kicks off the evening Wednesday with a 5:30 p.m. game against GAC, followed by the boys game.