Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Earlier this season, the Callaway Lady Cavaliers lost to Greenville by nearly 40 points on their home floor.

The story was a much different one in the rematch.

With Gabrielle Johnson and Niakoe Burks combining for 35 points, Callaway edged Greenville 56-53 on Saturday.

Burks led Callaway with 18 points while making three 3-pointers, and Gabrielle Johnson added 17 points after being held to three points the night before against Heard County.

“Niakoe, she came out and attacked tonight, and I was really proud of her, and Gabby bounced back from (the Heard game),” said Deyano Martin, Callaway’s head coach.

Burks scored 17 of her points in the first half as Callaway led by nearly 20 points.

Greenville fought back and made a game of it in the second half, but Callaway prevailed.

“They battled back, and that third quarter let them back in it, and in the fourth quarter we did enough to win the game,” Martin said. “I’m proud of the way they played. They came out and played hard. I was real proud of the girls.”

BOYS BASKETBALL: The streaking Callaway Cavaliers outlasted Greenville 70-65 on Friday night.

With Demetrius Coleman leading the way with 31 points, Callaway (9-4 overall) won its fifth straight game.

Callaway returns to region competition on Tuesday with a critical home game against Spencer.

While Callaway is 5-2 in the region, Spencer is in first place with a 7-0 record.

If the Cavaliers want to stay in position to possibly earn the top seed for the region tournament, they likely have to win Tuesday’s game.

“We have to win it to have any kind of chance,” said Terry Hayes, Callaway’s head coach. “We just have to play hard all game.”

In Saturday’s game, the Cavaliers led 18-14 after the first quarter, and they were ahead 40-23 at the half.

The Cavaliers were outscored 26-15 in the third quarter as their lead shrunk to six, but they held off the charging Patriots in the final quarter.

While Coleman did much of the scoring for Callaway, Duke Simpson helped out with  12 points, and Jacob Freeman contributed 11 points.