By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

CENTREVILLE – The Montevallo boys’ basketball team traveled to Bibb County on Dec. 3, to face off against the Choctaws in a rare Saturday high school basketball game. The Bulldogs were able to hold on for a thrilling two-point 53-51 victory in the game.

Montevallo started the game out strong on the defensive end of the floor as they held Bibb County to five first quarter points and were able to turn their strong defense into 10 points.

The scripts flipped in the second quarter when Bibb County woke up on both ends of the court and outscored the Bulldogs 16-9 in the quarter. The Choctaws all of a sudden had a 21-19 halftime lead.

The two teams battled hard the rest of the game as the score changed several times. A back-and-forth third quarter came to an end with Bibb County leading 37-36. The Bulldogs had outscored the Choctaws 17-16 in the quarter, but still trailed as they headed to the fourth, meaning it would take a come from behind effort to win.

In the fourth, both teams fought as the score changed on several occasions, but in the end thanks to some late heroics, the Bulldogs were able to outscore Bibb by just enough and went on to win by the final score of 53-51. They scored 17 points to the Choctaws’ 14 in the quarter.

On the night, Montevallo was led by Da’Shaunte Smith with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Dequarius Anderson gave the Bulldogs two double digit scorers with his 12 points, and Daqwan Bryant added eight more.

Tyler Rutledge and Rodney Crymes both scored 14 points to pace Bibb County.

Montevallo is off to a 4-1 start this season behind Smith who has scored 21 or more points in every game so far this season and is averaging 25.8 points per game.