As far as season-openers go, Saturday wasn’t a bad night at all for the Christian Brothers basketball team.

Reese McMullen scored 17 points as the Brothers responded to Bartlett’s third-quarter rally and went on to win, 76-54. It’s the final season opener for the Brothers in their old gym before moving into a new fieldhouse as part of the school’s 150th anniversary in 2021.

CBHS is loaded with seniors this season, nine in total, and coach Bubba Luckett said earlier in the week that he plans to take advantage of that experience. The Brothers were also mostly successful in pushing the pace, something else that should help them win plenty of games in 2020-21.

“We played 11 guys in the first half like we said we were going to do and we had a contribution from everybody,” said Luckett, who is entering his 31st season as head coach. 

“I was disappointed when they made a little run how impatient we were offensively. When you’re telling a team they’re going to play fast, that doesn’t necessarily mean when we cross half-court fire it up after two or three passes. The JV team (Saturday) put on a clinic with how to be patient and get what you want.

“But the last few possessions before we put it on ice, we moved the ball around five or six times and bam, we had a wide-open look. You learn a lot from your first game and hopefully Tuesday (at ECS), we’ll execute a little better ... but we got contributions from everybody.”

In addition to his scoring, McMullen also drew praise from his coach for his defensive efforts. Chandler Jackson scored all 15 of his points in the first half before handing the baton to Harrison Kelly, who 3 of 3 from behind the 3-point line while scoring all 12 of his points in the second half.

As a team, the Brothers made 10 of 18 3-pointers and 18 of 20 free throws.

Calvin Jennings scored 17 to lead the Panthers (1-1), who were coming off an impressive victory at Fayette-Ware Tuesday. Bartlett trailed 39-19 early in the third before getting it below double-digits, only for CBHS answer decisively thanks in large part to Kelly, who scored nine points in the third.

Will Farris added 13 for Bartlett while promising 6-foot-5 freshman Rashad Williams, the brother of Memphis Lady Tiger twins Lanetta and Lanyce Williams, added 11.

Bartlett finished 0 of 8 on 3s.

“That’s a really good team,” said Bartlett’s Dion Real of the Brothers. “They’ve been together for a while and Coach Luckett always does a good job. Just the experience factor; we’ve got guys that haven’t been out there very much yet. Not an excuse but they’re extremely well-coached and they run their stuff so well.

“We’re just struggling scoring the ball. You can only play defense for so long before you break down. But I’m proud of our guys. One thing about this group; nobody knows them and nobody is giving them any credit. These guys aren’t getting any love and they’re pretty good.”

Two of CBHS’ rivals in Division 2-AA West were also victorious Saturday.

At MUS, Ayman McGowan continued his fine run of 3-point shooting form to open the season as the Owls held off ECS, 53-50, in overtime. McGowan, a senior, scored 19 points on 5 of 10 shooting from beyond the arc after going 4 of 6 in Tuesday’s victory over Covington.

Henry Nickey added 13 for the Owls (2-0) while R’Chaun King, a 6-5 freshman, chipped in with 11 and nine boards. Marquette signee Kam Jones had a terrific game for the Eagles (1-1), finishing with 32 points and 11 rebounds.

Bobby Westbrook had 19 points and 10 rebounds as St. Benedict won its second straight to open the season, 51-47 over Fayette Academy. Adam Barbieri chipped in with 11 points for the winners while T.J. Pangonas grabbed 12 boards.

Andrew Payne led the Vikings (1-1) with 15 while Austin Abernathy added 12.

Saturday

Boys

CBHS 76, Bartlett 54

Bartlett 8 11 22 13-54

CBHS 18 19 18 21-76

Bartlett (54) — Calvin Jennings 17, Will Farris 12, Kamrin Jones 8, Luke Bridges 1, Keenan Thompson 5, Rashad Williams 11

CBHS (76) — Chandler Jackson 15, Eli Federman 8, Bryce Dailey 5, Harrison Kelly 12, Reese McMullen 17, Zion Owens 9, Colin Scifres 4, Hunter Pratt 4, Collin Beatty 2

Records: Bartlett 1-1; CBHS 1-0

Notable: Eli Federman, at 5-9, led CBHS with eight rebounds while Chandler Jackson chipped in with six and four assists.

MUS 53, ECS 50 (OT)

ECS (50)-Kam Jones 32, Thomas Kizer 2, Mason Shropshire 9, Sylvester Ford 2, Adam Olds 3, Kenny Cox 2

MUS (53)-Ayman McGowan 19, Curtis Givens Jr. 4, Henry Nickey 13, R’Chaun King 11, Jack Jabbour 6

Records: ECS 1-1; MUS 2-0

St. Benedict 51, Fayette Academy 47

Fayette Academy 18 7 17 5-47

St. Benedict  11 11 13 16-51

Fayette Academy (47)-Andrew Payne 15, Austin Abernathy 12, Luke Moore 9, Caleb Smith 7, Ryan Eubanks 4

St. Benedict (51)-Bobby Westbrooks 19, Adam Barbieri 11, Gary Bair 8, T.J. Pangonas 6, Marcus Gray 4, Jermaine Brown 2, Sadat Muhammad 1

Records: Fayette Academy 1-1; St. Benedict 2-0

Girls

Fayette Academy 62, St. Benedict 37

Fayette Academy 18 14 15 15-62

St. Benedict 4 13 7 13-37

Fayette Academy (62)-Lizzie Rhea 14, Kaitlyn Eubanks 11, Annie Thornton 11, Emmie Moore 10, Camille Burnett 9, Megan Graham 2, Rose Edwards 2, Georgia Weatherly 2

St. Benedict (37)-Isabella Polonia 13, Sarah Wiggins 9, Farrah Rector 8, Ella Lamey 3, Emma Jolly 2, Gracie Lamey 2

Records: Fayette Academy 2-0; St. Benedict 0-2

Nov. 20

Boys

Northpoint 56, Southaven 53

Southaven 15 14 7 17-53

Northpoint 12 19 14 11-56

Southaven (53)-Isaiah Brevard 15, Jordan Hibbler 12, Jordan Jennings 13, Savion Shorter 3, Terrance Smith 8, Jeremiah Davis 1

Northpoint (56)-Christian Gilliland 19, J.B. Chapman 1, Garret Waller 2, Darius Naylor 15, Mitchell Wright 4, Chris Gilliland 15

Record: Northpoint 1-0

Girls

Northpoint 41, Southaven 35

Southaven 8 2 10 15-35

Northpoint 8 4 13 16-41

Southaven (35)-Taylor Woodhouse 14, Anaria Lee 2, Brieona Owens 9, Ari Winston 10

Northpoint (41)-Kerrington Edwards 2, Bethany Wright 5, Briley Faith Cherry 14, Isabella Carlson 8, Leah Jones 12

Records: Southaven 3-2; Northpoint 1-0

Notable: Briley Faith Cherry scored 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter as Northpoint outlasted the Chargers.

Nov. 19

Boys

Lake Cormorant 69, Oxford 56

Notable: K.B. Brooks led the way with 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Gators rode a strong fourth quarter to victory. 

Girls

Fayette-Ware 65, Bartlett 47

Bartlett (47)-La’Monnie Owens 6, Nevaeh Scott 22, Zoe Williams 2, Shamari Hamlett 6, Madison Guess 6, Jada Greer 3

Fayette-Ware (65)-Christal Ingram 1, Syndei Marshall 4, Tyneequa Gilchrease 11, Rachel Griffin 23, Tamerah Thompson 4, Makala Terry 2, Mauryah Jones 8, Chrishunti Walker 12

Records: Bartlett 0-1; Fayette-Ware 1-0

Hutchison 82, ECS 14

ECS 2 3 7 3-14

Hutchison 26 23 23 10-82

ECS (14)-Katie Field 3, Evie Wages 5, Audrey Broadway 5, Niara Young 2

Hutchison (82)-Kaila Nugent 7, Jayla Dorsey 6, Berklee Scifres 6, Lauren Burress 5, Maddie Prather 14, Maxine Engel 6, Caroline Gilbert 8, Kaia Barnett 14, Carmyn Harrison 8, Rebecca Burnett 8

Records: ECS 0-2; Hutchison 1-0

Nov. 17

Boys

Arlington 93, Pope John Paul II 78

PJP 19 12 15 32-78

Arlington 20 22 23 28-93

Pope John Paul II (78)-Connor Tuerff 14, Sam Specht 33, Sabino Otira 23, Tristan Conger 7, Matthew Shipley 4, Fred Bailey 3

Arlington (93)-Jace Lockhart 6, Isaiah Jones 16, Phillip Dotson 13, Madison Peaster 9, Andre Watson 4, Brian Gilmore 6, Andrew Ellis 6, Anthony Medlock 21, Javar Daniel 12

Records: Pope John Paul II 0-1; Arlington 1-0

Notable: Javar Daniel, a 6-9 sophomore, had 11 rebounds to lead Arlington while Isaiah Jones, a highly-regarded 6-6 senior transfer from East Nashville High, chipped in with 10. Madison Peaster and Andre Watson each had five assists.

Collierville 70, Brownsville Haywood 53

Collierville 17 17 12 24-70

Haywood 12 16 13 12-53

Collierville (70)-T.J. McNeal 4, Jordan Coleman 2, Davon Barnes 25, Jordan Jenkins 14, Josh Dawson 4, Chris Sims 2, Tyler Johnson 6, Elijah Lussier 2, Alex Vandebergh 8, Jack Cantrell 3

Haywood (53)-Tarquaris Douglas 3, Kevon Davis 1, Jamari Pearson 7, Michael Harris 4, Janerus Snipe 21, Shamarion Jones 6, Kyeth Powell 2, Tylon Chatman 9

ECS 68, Center Hill 56

Center Hill 20 8 18 10-56

ECS 13 21 23 11-68

Center Hill (56)-Preston Newsom 5, Jonathan Mitchell 2, Zandan Haralson 16, Elijah Morris 7, Kaedan Laws 26

ECS (68)-Kameron Jones 21, Thomas Kizer 12, Mason Shropshire 12, Sylvester Ford 10, Dominic Brown 10, Kenny Cox 3

Records: Center Hill 3-1; ECS 1-0

Records: Collierville 1-0; Haywood 0-1

Fayette Academy 75, Tipton Christian 14

Notable: Austin Abernathy and Luke Moore each scored 14 as the Vikings rolled in their season-opener. Ryan Eubanks, Fayette Academy’s seven-foot junior center, chipped in with eight.

Fayette-Ware 51, Martin Westview 44

Notable: JaSteven Walker, the Wildcats’ promising 6-10 junior, led the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the first game of the year. Harmonta Griggs had eight steals while Taki Walker led the winners with five assists.

Hernando 61, Oxford 54

Notable: Josh Williams and Zac Jackson each scored 18 to lead the Tigers.

MUS 74, Covington 38

Covington (38)-Holden Warmath 8, Devin Dean 6, Tylon Rivers 11, Bremarios Tipton 7, Anthony Mason 2, Elijah Ford 2, C.J. Fayne 2

MUS (74)-Ayman McGowan 15, Wes Vanderslice 5, Coy Stiles 2, Curtis Givens Jr. 15, Henry Nickey 3, James Barton 9, R’Chaun King 10, Gavin Murrey 2, Loro Lado 2, Jack Jabbour 11

Records: Covington 0-1; MUS 1-0

Notable: The Owls started two freshman, Curtis Givens Jr. and R’Chaun King, in the first game of head coach David Willson’s second season at the helm. Ayman McGowan went 4 of 6 from 3-point range while Jack Jabbour finished 3 of 7 and had a team-high six assists. Givens added five assists while the 6-6 King pulled down 12 rebounds to record a double-double in his varsity debut.

St. Benedict 43, Munford 39

St. Benedict 7 13 14 9-43

Munford 13 3 10 13-39

St. Benedict (43)-Bobby Westbrooks 16, Gary Bair 9, Adam Barbieri 9, Marcus Gray 3, Jermaine Brown 3, Joseph DiGaetano 2, Seamas Carrasco 2

Munford (39)-Javaris Tolton 15, Michael Lee 8, Shane Cox 6, Braden Lewis 4, Dillon Brooks 3, Jordan Bell 2, Levi Poindexter 1

Records: St. Benedict 1-0; Munford 0-1

Girls

Arlington 59, Marion (Ark.) 50

Marion 7 12 7 24-50

Arlington 12 25 16 6-59

Marion (50)-Ny’Asia Jackson 6, Kierra Neal 2, Dionna Woodson 7, Daedrinna Cail 12, Jala Henderson 18

Arlington (59)-Kennise Watkins 6, Tierney King 4, Alindsey Long 12, Taylor Dupree 7, Carmen Taylor 19, Charmen Taylor 12

Records: Marion 0-1; Arlington 1-0

Notable: Charmen Taylor and Taylor Dupree each added six rebounds as the Tigers built a big early lead and held on to give coach Ashley Shields her first victory at the school. Charmen Taylor, Carmen Taylor and Alindsey Long each had three assists.

Center Hill girls 99, ECS 31

ECS (31)-Katie Field 9, Audrey Broadway 19, Evie Wages 1, Niara Young 2

Center Hill (99)-Taylor Ware 6, Dominique Collins 15, Kayleigh Prentiss 22, Jairya Rankin 17, Madison Bush 2, Hope Mealer 14, Zarria Shipp 2, Candice Buford 21

Records: ECS 0-1; Center Hill 4-2

Collierville 63, Brownsville Haywood 30

Collierville 26 12 20 5-63

Haywood 10 14 3 3-30

Collierville (63)-Mallory Taylor 20, Nakiyah Westbrook 16, Anandi Farrell-Rousseau 2, Maggie Gresham 1, Kristyna Boyd 2, Miranda Pham 16, Lauren Robinson 3, Kyra Kelly 2

Haywood (30)-Laniya Hill 5, Mecasia Taylor 6, JaDerrika Welch-Fields 4, Shekinah Tisdale 8, Shakirah Drake 2, Marianna Fuller 2, Azaria Taylor 2, Megan Garrison 1

Records: Collierville 1-0; Haywood 0-1

Fayette Academy 85, Tipton Christian 8

Notable: Thirteen players scored as the Vikings opened their season with a victory. Hannah Logan led the way with 17, followed by Camille Burnett (13) and Kaitlyn Eubanks (10) as Brandon Bradford picked up his first victory as the girls’ coach.

Munford 45, St. Benedict 28

St. Benedict 9 5 8 6-28

Munford 9 8 14 14-45

St. Benedict (28)-Emma Jolly 8, Ella Lamey 6, Maria Bair 5, Sarah Wiggins 4, Ava Esteb 2, Aoife Sherron 2, Bianca Von Bergen 1

Munford (45)-Maiya Reed 29, Ciara Spence 8, Abby Haun 5, Hannah Callahan 3

Nov. 16

Olive Branch girls 66, Houston 56

Houston 15 12 16 13-56

Olive Branch 5 25 20 16-66

Houston (56)-Aliyah Wilson 5, Halley Turner 7, Anna Lee Avery 14, Daejah Richmond 2, Carrington Jones 16, Brittni Wells 8, Avalon Vanatta 4

Olive Branch (66)-B. Eason 10, A. Howell 20, T. Pleas 10, A. Black 14, R. Pegues 12

Records: Houston 0-1; Olive Branch 5-0