CRESTVIEW — With the District 1-7A boys basketball tournament a little more than two weeks away things are finally coming together for Crestview High School.
Dakota Childree and Marquis McClain provided the offense teaming up for 27 points. And the Bulldogs played what Coach Greg Watson called their best defensive game of the season Friday night against Navarre in a 48-34 win.
“I thought defensively we played really well,” he said. “We held them to 34 and they’ve got some guys that can score. I felt like that was probably our best defensive game of the year.
“And I was proud of the way we rebounded. I felt like we didn’t give them a lot of second chances. Defensively and rebounding, I thought it was one of our better games of the year.”
Crestview-Navarre boys basketball photos>>>
Baskets by McClain and Keenan Redd gave the Bulldogs (11-8, 5-2) a quick 4-0 lead. The Raiders came back and tied the game at 4-4 on baskets by Dylan Maine and Juante Cunningham.
A 3-pointer by McClain with 3:20 left in the first quarter followed by a 3 from Tay King put Crestview up 10-4 and the Bulldogs led the rest of the way.
Crestview was up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter and 24-14 at the half.
Childree came off the bench for Crestview in the second quarter and hit a pair of 3-pointers as the Bulldogs began to slowly pull away.
McClain led the Bulldog charge in the third quarter scoring six of his game-high 15 points as Crestview pushed the lead to 38-23 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Childree hit two more 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs went up 44-17. Childree finished the game with 12 points.
“I thought Dakota Childree came and hit some big shots for us,” Watson said. “He hit some shots we haven’t been hitting. That’s how you are going to win in the post season so I hope we can keep that rolling.”
The Raiders tried to mount a comeback behind the strong play of Quentin Randolph, who scored six points in the final period, but it wasn’t enough as the Bulldogs to the comfortable win.
Although Watson said the Bulldogs still have work to do finishing off an opponent he saw something the team can build on down the stretch.
“It wasn’t great, but it was an improvement,” he said. “We’ve got two weeks left in the season and our big thing right now is to improve our weaknesses and that’s one of our glaring weaknesses.”
Cunningham led the Raiders in scoring with 11 points. He was the only Navarre player in double figures.
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Defense shines in Bulldog win (PHOTOS, VIDEO)