Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Devils end season with 14 wins

About 20 Go-Devil fans made the cold, rainy trek to Centerpoint Thursday night to watch the Senior Go-Devils fight to stay in the 2008 3A Region 4 basketball tournament, but the Go-Devils went home with a 50-78 loss to the Drew Central Pirates.

The Pirates started the game with the tip-off. The Go-Devils picked up three free throws in the first quarter -- two of which belonged to senior guard Justin Hart.

Senior guard Jeff Henry scored highest in the first quarter with two filed toals and a free throw.

Senior forward D.D. Davis, senior guard Jamario Dixon and senior forward Mario Brownlee all pitched in with three points apiece. The Pirates ended the first quarter ahead, 23-16.

In the second quarter, the Go-Devils fouled nine times, allowing the Pirates 10 points in free throws. Senior guard Bryan Duncan, sophomore point guard Bobby Purifoy, D.D. Davis and Jeff Henry all scored one field goal apiece. The Pirates ended the first half with a 14-point lead, 38-24.

The Go-Devils scored their highest points in the third quarter, with Jeff Henry scoring two field goals and a free throw.

Bryan Duncan and senior forward Beau McKenzie both put three on the board. D.D. Davis scored two field goals for Gurdon, and Bobby Purifoy scored a field goal. The Pirates picked up six free throws from Gurdon fouls. One turning point of the game, Head Coach Donnie Davis said, was when the Go-Devils got the Pirates' lead down to three points with four minutes left in the third quarter.

In the last quarter, senior guard Sean harper threw in a three-pointer. Beau McKinzie, Jeff Henry and Bobby Purifoy all scored one free throw apiece.

But the Go-Devils suffered numerous turnovers and gave the Pirates six chances at free throws, allowing the Pirates to put 25 points on the scoreboard with a 28-point lead for the victory.

Hentry scored the highest of the Go-Devils with 14 points for the game.

"Jeff played hard and did a good job pressuring them out front," Davis asid. "I thought Brownlee, despite the fact that he was sick, did a good job; and Sean Harper also played hard."

The Go-Devils ended their season with a 14-16 record and finished sixth in the conference.

They also were the district tournament runners up. The Pirates went on to play Lakeside-Lake Village Beavers Friday in the second round of the tournament.

"I'm looking to move on and build our program," Davis said. "And would like to congratulate our seniors for being runners up."