LIBERTY CITY – The Bullard Panthers basketball season may have started out with a slowpaced loss, but with four players out, just give it three weeks to turn around fast. And I mean fast……as in a whole new gear.

Having to play a slowpaced tempo due to a shortage of healthy players, Bullard lost to a Class 2A, second-ranked Sabine 43- 30 last week at the Sabine High School gymnasium.

“Take nothing away for Sabine, they are a well coached team and should play a long post-season,” said Bullard new boy’s head coach, Robert Sampson after the game. “But we should have won the game and I know the kid’s know that and they are disappointed.

“But what we are doing on the floor right now is so far from what we have the capability of when we get everybody healthy and their basketball legs under them,” Sampson added. “I was proud of the effort, and these first few games are quality teams and we are starting off with several key players gone, but it’s gonna be a good year with these kid’s.”

Bullard’s Taft Rose six of his seven points in the first half with two 3-pointers for the 21-20, halftime lead.

Nine lead changes kept the hometown “Crunk Section’ revved-up and eventually turned the avid Cardinal fans into referees after the half.

It did not help that the second half was a forgettable stint for the Panthers managing only nine-points in the final two periods of the loss.

Sabine’s, Noah Jackson scored seven of his gamehigh, 21 points opening up the second half of play to lead the Cardinals on a 11-0 run that the Panthers could never recover.

The second-ranked, Cardinals came out for the second half, trailing 21-20 before Jackson and point guard Kirk Colton heatedup to lead the run to take command.

Rose nailed a freethrow, and Lance Anding hit a three-pointer with one-minute left in the third quarter to account for all the Panthers points in the deciding third period. Cardinal, point guard, Kirk Colton nailed two 3-pointers, and joined Jackson in double-figures with 11 points for Sabine.

Anding led the Pathers with 10 points, while Rose added seven-points, and Scott Starwalt was held to four points in a ‘questionable’ short night due to fouls.T

he Panthers will have played host to T.K. Gorman on Tuesday night after press deadline.

Bullard will then take a break before returning to action on the road at Pine Tree on Tues., Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.

Non-District Boys Basketball

BULLARD - Lance Anding, 10; Josiah Rosebury, 3; Taft Rose, 7; Jace Deece, 1; Ryan Wood, 3; R,J, Horton 2; Scott Starwalt, 4.

SABINE - Josh Montana, 5; Shane Lewis, 2; Noah Jackson, 21; Kedrick Chemley, 2; Kirk Colton, 11; Jerrel Shumley, 2.

THREE-POINT GOALS - B: Anding 2, Rose 2. S: Jackson 3, Colton 2.

RECORDS - Bullard 0-1. Sabine 1-0.

JV SCORE - Sabine 48, Bullard 36,

FRESH SCORE - Bullard 65, Sabine 25. NEXT UP - T.K. Gorman at Bullard, Tues. Nov. 24, 7 p.m.