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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

GARDENDALE – In a game that was close throughout all four quarters, the Helena Huskies used an impressive second-half defensive effort to beat the Gardendale Rockets on the road, 51-42.

Denton McDonald led Helena in scoring with 14 points, and received offensive assistance from both Torrey Ward and Drew Davis, who each scored 10.

For Gardendale, Braylon Henry scored two 3-pointers in the first quarter to get the Rockets offense going, finishing the game right at the double-digit mark with 10 points.

Trey Crawford also scored 10 for the game and asserted himself in the paint early with six buckets in the first quarter.

The game was tight in the first half, with Gardendale throwing the first haymaker, outscoring Helena 20-15 in the first quarter. Henry and Crawford combined for 12 in the period, while Corden Byrd and Connor Ma each knocked down a three.

McDonald finished the quarter with eight points, leading the Huskies while going 2-2 from the free throw line in the process.

The second quarter was also close, with Helena beginning to claw back after an early hole. The Huskies headed to halftime down 30-26 but outscored the Rockets 11-10 in the quarter.

Denton McDonald once again went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, and added a two-point bucket to finish with four points in the quarter.

Nate Ferguson’s only bucket of the game was crucial, as it was a three in the second quarter. This was Helena’s only 3-pointer of the quarter.

After starting off the game with two 3-pointers in the first quarter, Braylon Henry was held to two points in the second. Five different players each scored two in the quarter, as head coach Chris Berry implemented a balanced offensive attack.

The third quarter was where the game began to shift in favor of the Huskies, as they outscored the Rockets 11-6. Torrey Ward went 3-for-4 from the free throw line, and Drew Davis scored four more points in the period to pace the Helena offense.

The defensive intensity from the Huskies limited Gardendale, and Helena escaped the quarter with a one-point lead, 37-36.

This momentum shift was only further exacerbated in the fourth quarter, as Helena continued the defensive intensity and cranked up the offense to the tune of a 14-6 point differential in the period.

Torrey Ward had five points, including a 3-ball, while Braylon Henry and Trey Crawford were held scoreless in the final frame.

A huge piece of the Huskies’ big win came from the free throw line. Helena took advantage of their free-throw line visits throughout the game, going 12-for-16, while Gardendale only went to the charity stripe once, as Braylon Hurt went 1-for-2 in the fourth quarter.