Holiday Haul at Monrovia

South Putnam defeated Eastern Greene and Monrovia to win the Monrovia Holiday Tournament Wednesday evening, defeating the Thunderbirds 53-49 and the Bulldogs 75-62 in the final.

Courtesy photo

MONROVIA — South Putnam started the Monrovia Holiday Tournament 2-6 and doubled its win tally by the end of the day, adding a title to show for their work Wednesday.

The Eagles defeated Eastern Greene 53-49 to start the tournament and came back in the evening to defeat the host Bulldogs 75-62 in the championship game.

Opening the four-game tournament, the Eagles were 10-of-16 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter to see off the Thunderbirds to advance to the final.

South Putnam trailed 20-19 at halftime but got 10 points from Wyatt Mullin in the third quarter to take a 36-30 lead into the fourth quarter where freshmen Blake Witt and Isaac Gardner scored nine of the team’s 17 fourth-quarter points to advance to the championship against the host Bulldogs.

Mullin led South Putnam with 13 points, followed by Hill on 12 points and Gardner with 10 points. Coby Sykes led all scorers with 18 points for the Thunderbirds.

In the final, the Eagles got off to a hot start, leading 20-9 after a quarter of play with Cameron Bozell scoring eight points, Drew Hill seven points and Mullin five points in the period.

Mullin, Witt, Hill and Bozell added threes in the second quarter though Monrovia chipped into the lead behind 10 points from Tucker Rahn, trimming the gap to 37-30 at halftime.

Rahn added 13 of the Bulldogs’ 19 points in the third quarter though South Putnam continued to fire away from three as Mullin, Hill and Bozell each hit from distance while Parker Harris scored twice to keep the visitors in front 53-49 after three quarters of play.

Hill scored nine points and Bozell seven points in the final period as Rahn and Monrovia finally ran out of steam, netting South Putnam an in-season title and moved the team to 3-6 on the season.

Rahn led all scorers with 32 points but only one other Bulldog, Hayden McCloud, finished in double figures with 11 points.

Hill and Bozell had matching 24-point nights in the final while Mullin chipped in 11 points. Harris scored six points, Witt added five points, Khalil Jefferson had three points and Gardner scored two points in the championship game.