Weaver gets back on horse
- Updated: January 26, 2015
UPDATED: Bearcats win in first game back from county tourney layoff
Weaver post Elliott Moore directs traffic during Monday’s game. On the cover, Moore and Paul Hubbard (5) led the Bearcats to a 73-60 victory over Lincoln.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
WEAVER — After losing a tight game in the opening round of the county tournament and having to sit for a week, Daryl Hamby felt it important his Weaver basketball team get something positive done the next time on the floor.
The Bearcats got back on the horse Monday and beat Lincoln 73-60 in a matinee in front of the student body.
They got “back in the groove of things” as Hamby put it with a 23-point first quarter, stayed in front all game and put four scorers in double figures. If there was any shortcoming, it was an inability to completely bury the Bears (15-8) in the fourth quarter after some loose turnovers and missed layups.
“That was big for us,” guard Paul Hubbard said. “Going through the week watching everybody play got our team motivated to want to go out there and prove we should’ve been out there. The break helped us out very well. We had time to work on what has to get us better and I feel we’re going to progress from there.”
Elliott Moore, a 5-foot-10 post who Hamby called “the smallest big man in the county” and teammate Paul Hubbard called the best, led the Bearcats with 23 points. Craig Copeland (12), Hubbard (11) and Camron Lynch (10) also scored in double figures.
Moore, who channels Shaquille O’Neal in the post to overcome his undersize, had 17 points in the second half, many of them cleaning up underneath.
“He’s physical and gets in position,” Lincoln coach Rush Rutledge said. “He does the things to get those trash points. He pushed us around, and we took it.”
“He may be small,” Hubbard said, “but he can do it all.”
The Bearcats (12-12) had been idle since losing to Piedmont 62-59 last Monday. They cut a 10-point deficit to two late in the game and missed desperation shot at the buzzer. Under the rules of the event, teams that lose can’t play again while the tournament is underway, so the Bearcats had to sit.
“It was really big to win this game,” Elliott said. “When we went out for like a whole week we watched everybody play and we were sad the whole time because we knew we should’ve been in there and beaten Piedmont, but we’re going to beat them when we play again in the area.”
Dee Whiteside led Lincoln with 16 points. The Bears were playing without point guard Zay Caldwell, held out with a nagging shoulder injury to preserve him for the upcoming area tournament.
“Not having him is a big loss,” Rutledge said. “He makes everything happen and is a good defender. But taking him out is good for us; it makes other people do some stuff they’re not used to doing.”
Weaver 73, Lincoln 60
LINCOLN (15-8) — Isaac Davis 2 0-3 4, Tyler Hemphill 5 2-2 13, D.J. Bradford 1 0-0 2, K.J. Collins 2 0-0 4, Quin Carmichael 4 1-3 9, Dee Whiteside 7 2-3 16, L.J. Carmichael 3 1-2 7, Chris Prince 0 0-0 0, Brakias Truss 0 0-0 0, Donte 2 1-1 5. Totals 26 7-14 60.
WEAVER — Delo Forbes 2 2-4 6, Craig Copeland 5 1-2 12, Paul Hubbard 3 5-7 11, Cody Cochran 1 0-0 2, Elliott Moore 11 1-2 23, R.J. Wooden 0 0-0 0, Camron Lynch 4 2-3 10, Malik Arnold 3 3-3 9, Marcus Sanders 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 14-21 73.
Lincoln 18 13 11 18 — 60
Weaver 23 16 17 17 — 73
3-point goals: Lincoln 1 (Hemphill), Weaver 1 (Copeland). Total fouls: Lincoln 17, Weaver 12. Fouled out: Bradford. Officials: Robinson, Baker, Warren.
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