Basketball Recap: Zamaria Murphy Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Bolton

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Fayette Ware, Haywood was happy to have turned things around on Tuesday. They managed a 59-54 win over the Bolton Wildcats. That's more bragging rights for the Tomcats, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.

Haywood got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Zamaria Murphy out in front who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 15 boards. That's the most points Murphy has posted since back in November of 2024. Camariya Woodland was another key player, putting up 14 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.

Bolton's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was I'Mari Pointer, who posted 15 points. Another player making a difference was Analeticia Valasquez, who scored 14 points.

Haywood is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 10-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.5 points per game. As for Bolton, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-9 record this season.

Haywood wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 57-40 win against Bolivar Central on the 31st. As for Bolton, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 49-23 defeat against Fayette Ware on the 31st.