By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

Montevallo moved to 4-0 on the young season after picking up wins over Jemison, Talladega County Central High School and Bayside Academy in the last week. The Bulldogs have won their first four games by an average margin of 15 points.

The Bulldogs held Jemison to just 15 first half points on their way to mounting a 26-15 hole that the Panthers could not dig themselves out of. Jemison picked up the scoring pace in the second half, going for 27 points, but so did Montevallo, as the Bulldogs poured in 51 second half points to win easily, 77-52. Tae’ Smith hit six threes in the game and finished with a game-high 20 points and six rebounds. Tavarus Hall added a double-double as he finished with 12 points and 12 boards, and Ahmad Edwards finished with 14 points as well.

Just two days after beating up on Jemison, the Bulldogs took the floor again in the first round of the Second Annual Cornerstone Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Cornerstone School in Birmingham, and beat Talladega County Central easily by a final of 63-34. The Bulldogs scored 21 points in the first quarter and only gave up 20 points total in the first three quarters combined. Smith and Hall both had 11 points on the day while Daqwan Bryant added 10 as the Bulldogs coasted to the win.

After moving on to the semifinals, Montevallo turned its attention to a feisty Bayside Academy team, which jumped out to a 15-7 lead on Montevallo in the first quarter. The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter and went into the half trailing 28-25. Behind Hall’s 14-point, six-rebound, five-assist effort, Montevallo stayed perfect on the season, winning its closest game of the year to date, by a final of 63-61.

Now Montevallo will face host team Cornerstone in the finals as the Bulldogs look to stay perfect.