Sheldon splits non-con twinbill with Dadeville

Sheldon junior Clayton Loyd (3), knifes into the lane, during an early January home contest. Loyd erupted for a game-high 23 points, Monday night.

Matt Resnick | Daily Mail

Coming off two consecutive weeks of tournament-play, the Sheldon Panther boys and girls basketball teams returned to the court Monday, splitting a non-conference doubleheader with visiting Dadeville.

The Sheldon boys team earned a decisive 70-59 victory, while the Lady Panthers fell, 49-26.

In the boys contest, the Panthers led 23-19 at the conclusion of a high-scoring first quarter. Sheldon then relinquished its lead in the second quarter, with the Panthers trailing 38-32 at the break. Sheldon then trimmed Dadeville’s advantage to 51-47 entering the fourth. In the final stanza, Sheldon closed out on a 23-8 run, to secure the impressive come-from-behind, double-digit victory.

“We started off really well, pressing and forcing them into turnovers,” said Sheldon head coach, Joel McDuffey. “But then we got into foul trouble.” McDuffey said starting point guard Zavery Lamb and off-guard Matt Bogart, found themselves in early foul trouble.

“That threw us for quite the loop,” explained McDuffey, adding, “we started to head down a bad road mentally. We had a bit of a heart-to-heart at halftime, and really answered the call.”

McDuffey said he was thrilled with his club’s second half effort.

“We were a completely different team and came out with confidence in the second half,” said the first-year Panther head coach. “That confidence brought us back, and we took control of the game.”

Sheldon starting junior guard Clayton Loyd, finished with a varsity-career high 23 points. McDuffey said Loyd “willed” Sheldon to victory in the second half.

“He was a complete monster on the boards, and just had a motor that would not quit on the defensive end of the floor,” said McDuffey. “It was something special to watch. I am very proud of the way the boys played tonight — words cannot really explain.”

The comeback victory improves Sheldon to 11-7 overall.

Lamb and junior froward Jason Leveall joined Loyd in double-figure scoring, chipping in 18 and 13 respectively.

In the girls contest, Sheldon (0-16) trailed 26-12 at halftime, and 35-20 through three quarters of play. Dadeville, however, pulled away in the fourth, outscoring the Lady Panthers 14-6, for the final 23 point margin.

Sheldon’s Meckinize McCartney was the only Lady Panther to reach double-figure scoring, as the sophomore guard tallied 12 points.

Up next

Sheldon travels to Weableau for a non-conference twinbill on Friday. The Panthers then return to Sheldon to close out their home slate, with Golden Valley Vernon County Conference contests versus Hume (Feb. 6) and Montrose (Feb. 8).