Featured photo by Robert Summerlin
It was stormy outside but a good day inside for Bossier Parish teams Thursday on the first day of the ‘Doc’ Edwards Invitational sponsored by Willis Knighton Health Center.
Bossier, Benton and host Airline all advanced to the quarterfinals in the boys bracket.
Bossier defeated Haughton 64-53, Benton downed Eunice 58-42 and Airline defeated Homer 64-39.
Benton advanced in the girls bracket with a 62-21 victory over North Webster. Airline received a first-round bye.
In boys quarterfinals Friday, Bossier (4-5) faces Tupelo, Miss., (10-3) at 1:30 p.m. at Bossier, Benton takes on Ruston (3-3) at 10:30 a.m. at Benton (6-5) and Airline (4-8) plays Hornbeck (10-6) at 3 p.m. at Airline.
Haughton did get one win Thursday. The Bucs defeated Loyola 60-54 in a winners’ bracket play-in game. Haughton (8-6) faces Ringgold (3-13) in the White Bracket consolation semifinals at 3 p.m. at Bossier.
In girls quarterfinal games, Benton (12-5) plays Ebarb (10-11) at noon at Benton, and Airline (8-1) plays Jonesboro-Hodge (5-9) at noon at Airline.
Bossier (3-9), which fell to Ebarb 63-36 in the first round, faces North Webster (8-5) in the consolation quarterfinals at 9 a.m. at Bossier.
In other first-round boys games Thursday, Hornbeck defeated Jonesboro-Hodge 48-42, Northwood edged Mansfield 48-47, two-time defending champion Huntington downed Southwood 51-37, Tupelo topped Ringgold 71-53 and Ruston defeated Minden 54-36.
In other girls first-round games, Jonesboro-Hodge defeated Green Oaks 65-12, Cedar Creek defeated Homer 65-24, Hornbeck edged Minden 50-46, Captain Shreve downed Summerfield 78-60 and defending champion Arcadia defeated Converse 71-20.
The two other girls quarterfinal games have the potential to be good ones. Captain Shreve (13-2) faces Arcadia (13-2) and Cedar Creek (11-2) plays Hornbeck (6-8).
(The below stats were reported by coaches or official scorers.)
Maddox Martinez led the Benton boys against Ebarb with 24 points.
Krishna Bostic led the Benton girls with nine points. Bella Wiese had eight. Lauren Douglas and Taylor Brown scored seven each.
Jayden Carey led Haughton against Loyola with 32 points. Jordan Walton added 12.
Parker Alexander paced the Hornbeck boys with 24 points.
Braylon Levy led the Northwood boys with 17 points. Daniel Atkins hit the game-winning shot with 2.1 seconds left. He finished with 10 points. Mansfield’s Jaylen O’Neal had 11 points and two steals.
AnTravion Kinsey and LaDaunte McCoy led the Ringgold boys with 22 and 21 points, respectively.
Ahmad Hudson led the Ruston boys with 19 points. Ayden Anding had 12 and Keshun Malone 11. Carmelo Smith led Minden with 11 points.
Ebarb’s Keelan Parrie scored 30 against Eunice.
Here is Friday’s schedule
AT AIRLINE
Mansfield vs. Southwood (boys), 9 a.m.
Cedar Creek vs. Hornbeck (girls), 10:30 a.m.
Airline vs. Jonesboro-Hodge (girls), noon
Northwood vs. Huntington (boys), 1:30
Airline vs. Hornbeck (boys), 3
Airline-Jonesboro-Hodge winner vs. Cedar Creek-Hornbeck winner (girls semifinals), 6
Airline-Hornbeck winner vs. Northwood-Huntington winner (boys semifinals), 7:30
AT BENTON
Converse vs. Summerfield, 9 a.m.
Benton vs. Ruston (boys), 10:30 a.m.
Benton vs. Ebarb (girls), noon
Homer vs. Jonesboro-Hodge (boys), 1:30
Eunice vs. Minden (boys), 3
Benton-Ebarb winner vs. Arcadia-Captain Shreve winner (girls semifinals), 6
AT BOSSIER
North Webster vs. Bossier (girls), 9 a.m.
Homer vs. Minden (girls), 10:30 a.m.
Captain Shreve vs. Arcadia (girls), noon
Bossier vs. Tupelo (boys), 1:30
Ringgold vs. Haughton (boys), 3
Green Oaks vs. Homer-Benton winner (girls consolation semifinals), 4:30
North Webster-Bossier winner vs. Summerfield-Converse winner (girls consolation semifinals), 6
Bossier-Tupelo winner vs. Benton-Ruston winner (boys semifinals), 7:30