The 2020-21 varsity basketball season is underway for the Russellville Golden Tigers, and the boys picked up a close victory over Florence High School to begin the campaign.

Dec. 1 Russellville defeated the Falcons by a 79-78 final score. RHS senior Chandler Dyas scored 33 points, including five three-pointers, to lead the way to victory.

Dyas is a Millsaps College signee, and he was joined in double-figure scoring by fellow seniors Jeb Bishop with 16 points and Brooks Scott with 12.

Russellville outrebounded FHS by a 40-33 margin, and the Golden Tigers shot 52 percent from the field, while Florence shot 45 percent. RHS also connected on 41 percent of three-point attempts, while the Falcons made 31 percent of their tries from beyond the arc.

After starting the season off with a loss to Fairview, the Russellville Lady Golden Tigers continued their slate of games with a loss to Florence by a 63-39 score.

Russellville was led in scoring by Jenna Whitfield’s 11 points. She was joined in double figures by Jacey Moore, who had 10 for RHS.

Anna Beth Oliver added five points, and she was followed by Fallin Cox with four and Avery Watts with three. Leah Rushing, Jayna Poss and Amya Carter all had two points apiece for Russellville.

The RHS girls then traveled to Vina later in the week, and the Lady Golden Tigers got their first win of the season by a 60-50 score.

Moore led the way to victory with 21 points, while Whitfield added 12. Rushing (nine), Oliver (eight), Cox (four), Poss (four) and Watts (two) rounded out the scoring for the Golden Tigers.

Russellville’s scheduled home games versus West Morgan were postponed, but the girls’ team was able to pick up a contest at Brooks Dec. 4.  RHS dropped to 1-3 on the season when the Lady Lions took a 62-36 win over the Lady Golden Tigers.