Brandon Moore helps Worth County top Westover

ALBANY — Lately, Herald Super 6er Brandon Moore of Worth County can’t be slowed. The senior put up another big game to lead the Rams to a 70-63 victory over Westover Tuesday night at Westover’s Boston Garden.

Moore scored 14 fourth-quarter points to help the Rams secure their eighth win in a row and second victory over Westover this season.

The teams were tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter after the Rams jumped out to an early lead.

Worth County limited Westover to just eight points in the second quarter and took a 31-23 into the half.

“I think we played well,” Worth coach Roney Mays said. “This is a hostile environment. I told my boys, you’ve got to go into other people’s gyms and be able to beat them there. I liked the way our guys stayed composed.”

Coming out of halftime, Moore and Anfernee McLemore began to take over. The duo each had seven points each in the third quarter.

Westover answered with the sharpshooting Jordan Brown. He scored eight points in the third quarter and finished with 18 in the game, all of which came in the second half.

In the end, Moore and McLemore were too much for Westover to handle. Moore finished with 33 points and 20 rebounds while McLemore added a triple-double with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Moore has been as hot as they come. The senior dropped 32 in Saturday’s victory over Monroe.

“It just comes from being aggressive,” Moore said. “That is how I always try to be. Just do what my coach tells me to do and play my game.”

Worth also received a 12-point game from Kentarious Bailey.

Allec Williams had 17 points for Westover, while Quindavious Smith had 10 points.

Westover girls 57, Worth County 31

The Westover High School girls basketball team looked like a well-oiled machine on its way to a victory over Worth County.

The Lady Patriots forced numerous turnovers and capitalized on multiple fast-break opportunities to build a 17-point lead at the end of the first half at Westover’s Boston Garden.

Westover opened the game on an 8-0 run before eventually going up 17-6 at the end of the first quarter.

Jasmine Jenkins paced Westover in the opening quarter, scoring nine of their 17 points. She finished the first half with 15 points and 17 in the game.

“It’s the way she scores,” Westover coach Lewis Smith said. “She scores in transition with layups and that is good. It is not that she had to knock down threes to score. She is starting to see she can score just as many points driving with the ball.”

The win was especially big because Westover was forced to play the game without Bryshea Jackson, who suffered an injury in the Lady Patriots’ last game. Smith said he is awaiting news on the severity of Jackson’s injury.

“She does everything for us and we had to play a game against Worth’s bigs without her,” Smith said. “We were able to score enough on the offensive end, so the lack of rebounding didn’t stick out.”

Westover also received six first half points from Tamiyah Dice, including four straight to close the first half. Dice had 10 points in the game.

The Lady Patriots got off to a slow start in the third quarter not making their first basket until 3:46 remaining in the quarter.

The win is Westover’s sixth in a row.

They were outscored by Worth County 11-10, but the big first-half lead was more than strong enough.

Worth received a strong second half boost from DeAundra Smith who scored eight points in the third quarter. She scored 15 in the game.

Worth coach John Popham said it is frustrating to watch his team open the first half sloppy only to get better as the game progresses.

“We are stuck in this pattern,” Popham said. “We don’t play good basketball in the first quarter. We tighten up a little bit and play better in the second quarter, then we make a good run in the third quarter.”

Nyla Perry also scored 10 points for Westover.