Bulldoggs fall in region finals to Rockdale

“I was proud of our guys,” said first-year Bulldogg coach David Sokol. “We competed hard and competed the whole game.”

Rockdale County led 26-19 at halftime and had moved in front by as many as 12 in the third quarter before WBHS began to rally.

D.J. Butler helped lead the comeback with the final eight points of the third quarter, six coming on baskets from 3-point range.

The lead was trimmed to 38-35 with 7:45 left after a basket by Alonzo Nelson-Ododa but Rockdale County would then answer with a run of its own. The Bulldogs from Conyers were suddenly in front by 14 at the 4:41 mark and would seal the region title and No. 1 seed for the state tournament with an 11-point victory.

“Alonzo being in early foul trouble was a factor and we missed some early chances,” Sokol said. “Still, I thought it was a great effort by our players.”

Rockdale County improved to 27-1 with the victory while the WBHS Bulldoggs will enter state at 21-6.

“Of the teams we’ve seen, they are certainly the most talented,” Sokol said. “Of course, there could be other teams in the state with that degree of talent. Rockdale has what it takes to make a run at it all though. There’s no question about that.”

WBHS advanced to the championship game with a 52-44 victory against Madison County Friday night. It was the fifth win in a row for the Bulldoggs and 10th in their previous 11 contests.
Quay Flanigan led WBHS Friday with 14 points while Butler added 12, 10 from the foul line. Jamias Davis and Nelson-Ododa both scored 11.

Like the previous two games between the Bulldoggs and Red Raiders this season, Friday’s region tournament semifinal game was close. The teams both scored six points in the first quarter and Winder-Barrow took a two-point lead into halftime.

The Bulldoggs outscored Madison County 13-13 in the third quarter and 18-15 in the fourth to seal the win and advance to Saturday’s championship contest. Fourteen free throws in the fourth quarter were beneficial for WBHS.