The Northeast Lauderdale Trojans and the Kosciusko Whippets faced off for a district matchup on Tuesday night. The Northeast boys managed to pull away in the second half, but the girls fell short.

Northeast boys 66, Kosciusko boys 45

Sophomore forward Troy Brown shined big for the Trojans, putting in major work under the basket and knocking down some shots from beyond the arc. Brown recorded a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Trojans started with much momentum but disappeared as miscues on defense helped Kosciusko cut a big first-quarter lead down to nine to end the half.

After some halftime adjustments, the Trojans’ defense wouldn’t be denied, causing Kosciusko to turn the ball over before the Whippets could cross half-court. With a double-digit late in the fourth, the Trojans used the clock to seal the win.

Sophomore point guard Davian Franklin had a solid game with 12 points and five steals. Jeremiah and Nehemiah Clark both chipped in with six points.

“I think we came out a little slow defensively, but luckily we were able to maintain because of our offense,” said coach Lewis Lightsey. “I thought midway through the third we started to play better on defense. We forced them into a trap and got some steals and deflections.”

Coach Lightsey said his players competed very well, and he sees his team’s growth from the beginning of the season to now.

They’ve gotten a lot better on both sides of the ball,” Lightsey said. He’s noticed the intensity of defense and how patient they have become on offense.

“This is the time we got to start playing well,” Lightsey said. “I believe we can do a lot because our team is deep. We can play big or small, which will benefit us as we push toward the division tournament.”

The Trojans improve to (11-6) and (2-1) in district play. They will travel to Chocktaw Cental for another district matchup.

Kosciusko girls 62, Northeast girls 50

The Lady Trojans’ two lead scoring put up big numbers offensively, but it wasn’t enough to get past Kosciusko’s senior guard D’naylah Williams, who finished with 28 points.

Guard Bray Tingle led with 20 points, and forward LaTia Powe added 18 points.