Bulloch Academy erased a 24-point halftime deficit but it wasn’t enough to overcome the multi-national force of Furtah Prep Friday night.
    Patrick Fries netted a game-high 24 points, including six three-pointers, to lead GISA’s defending Class AA state champions to a 71-54 win. Amir Savon, a 6-6 international student from Switzerland, scored 16 points while Serbian Andrej Kovacevic added seven. American Shamar Griffin netted 15 points while exchange students from Montenegro and Spain also saw playing time.
    The Falcons (13-5) raced out to a 22-8 lead by the end of the first quarter. Savon and Devin Derry filled the lane and swatted short shots. A ferocious 2-2-1 halfcourt trap created BA turnovers and chaos among the Gators. Furtah was in the bonus free-throw situation after the first three minutes of the game.
    “We didn’t play very well in the first half,” said Gator head coach Chandler Dennard.
    Griffin pounded two long-range treys to help the Acworth, Ga. squad to a 28-8 lead with 7:10 left in the half. The Gators (4-7) seemed to catch a second wind and fought back late in the quarter, using their own press to create havoc. Still, Furtah outscored BA 19-9 and took a commanding 41-17 lead at intermission.
    Dennard must have had some kind of halftime speech because Bulloch put on a Herculean effort in the third to cut the lead to 14 (53-39) and get back into the game.
    BA junior Hunter Perry netted 10 of his team-high 18 points in the quarter to lead the Bulloch assault. The Gators worked hard, hustling on both ends of the court and using a tough man defense to challenge the visitors. Bulloch crashed the boards and pushed the ball up the floor. Freshman Wright Rockett had six of his 12 points and senior Marvin Perkins added four of his seven in the third installment. 
    Still, the hot outside-shooting of Furtah Prep kept the Gators at bay.
    “Every time we would almost get back into the game,” said Dennard, “they would hit a three pointer. We just dug ourselves to deep of a hole in the first half.”
    The squads battled evenly in the fourth but the damage had already been done.
    In earlier junior varsity action, the Falcons nipped the Gators 50-49. Chad Lanier had a team-high 14 points while Trevor Mason added eight and Don Aaron had seven. Alvero Montes led Furtah with a game-high 21.
    Bulloch is back in action Tuesday, hosting regional rival Robert Toombs Christian Academy.