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CJ Smith led Calera on senior night as the Eagles picked up a thrilling 82-74 victory against Briarwood. (For the Reporter/Larry Dancy)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

CALERA – It was a strong night for the Calera Eagles, who played host to county-foe Briarwood on Friday, Feb. 1, looking to close the regular season out on a positive note heading into the area tournament.

Both the Calera boys and girls were able to pick up victories on the night with the girls pulling off a somewhat easy 14-point victory. For the boys, however, it was a high-scoring entertaining affair that you don’t see at the high school level very often. A recap from both games is below.

Boys: Calera 82, Briarwood 74

Calera scored 22 or more points in the final three quarters of the game after a single-digit first quarter to pull off a high-scoring 82-74 victory against Briarwood on senior night, but the Lions didn’t let the Eagles pull away.

Early in the game, Briarwood seemingly had the Eagles figured out defensively and held the potent offense to just nine points in the first quarter, while the Lions scored 13 points themselves thanks to a balanced effort that gave them a 13-9 advantage at the end of one.

Que CJ Smith, who recently came back from an injury, as well as Cornelius Brown. The two seniors got going in the second quarter and never let up the rest of the way.

Both players posted five points in the period with Smith knocking down two field goals, including a 3-pointer, while Brown hit a jumper and went 3-4 from the free throw line.

Both Laparris Whatley and Destin Jones, a fellow senior, added three points apiece to add to the scoring, as Calera posted 22 points in the frame.

Briarwood, however, kept pace with 19 more points of its own in the quarter to narrowly hold onto the lead heading into the half up 32-31.

The halftime break didn’t cool down the offensive onslaught by any stretch of the imagination.

The two teams combined for 54 points in the quarter as several players were hot for both teams.

For Calera, it remained Brown and Smith. The two combined for 19 points in the quarter with Brown pouring in nine points and Smith posting 10.

Briarwood saw Chance Beard, Alex Key and Hayden Lamey all pour in several baskets, and in impressive fashion as they had answers for every Calera basket.

It led to the Lions extending the lead slightly to 60-57 heading to the final quarter of the game, but that’s when Calera put together a clutch period.

In the fourth, the Eagles posted 25 more points with four players scoring at least four points in the frame, while also going 8-13 from the free throw line.

While Beard continued playing well in the final quarter for the Lions posting nine of his team’s points, he didn’t get nearly as much help as he did in the third quarter.

Calera’s continued offensive pressure eventually became too much for the Lions, as the Eagles pulled away in the final quarter for the 82-74 victory.

Smith led the Eagles with 25 points, while Brown added in 19. Whatley and Keshawn Haynes added 10 points apiece.

Briarwood was led by Beard, Key and Lamey as those three all finished in double figures.

Girls: Calera 45, Briarwood 31

The Calera girls also honored their seniors with a victory by playing a strong defensive game that limited the Lions to single digits in the first three quarters.

The Eagles allowed no more than seven points in any of those three periods, while scoring in double digits themselves to eventually build a 39-16 lead heading to the final quarter of play.

In the final period, Briarwood showed no quit and outscored Calera 15-6 to create the final score of 45-31.

After outscoring the Lions 11-4 in the opening period, the Eagles posted back-to-back 14-point quarters in the second and third to combine for 28 points, while limiting BCS to 12 combined points in that stretch, which is what led to the 23-point advantage heading to the fourth.

Calera was led by Treasure Davis with 17 points, while sister and senior A.B. Davis posted six points. Makaila Amos finished in double figures as well with 11 points.

Briarwood was led by Holly Hancock and Maddie Vaugn with 12 points apiece.

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