Bulldogs Take Down the Tigers Behind Brown’s 38 Points
- RoMoAthletics
- Feb 11
- 5 min read
February 11th, 2026
Another game, another bus trip for the road weary Rolla Bulldogs. But this time it was a short trip to take on former Ozark Conference rivals the Waynesville Tigers and the Bulldogs had their legs under them and ready to go.
There was to be no slow start for the Rolla Bulldogs as they shot 67% in the opening quarter and never looked back as they dominated the Waynesville Tigers, 74 to 57, to move to 18-4 on the season.
Brown Sets the Tone
Possibly being the last time that this group of Bulldog seniors will play against Waynesville, the Bulldogs 2x All-Stater Ethan Brown wanted to be sure to make a lasting statement. That statement was made 12 seconds into the game as the 6’4” Sr guard drove baseline and threw down an emphatic two-hand dunk to set the tone.
Brown scored the first 10 points for Rolla which forced Waynesville to call a timeout and regroup. The Bulldogs sent a quick reminder that they are a team loaded with talent as two All-District Bulldogs teamed up to execute a classic give and go. 6’2” Sr guard Jenson Thomas fed 6’8” Sr forward Paxton Ledbetter in the short corner. As the Bulldog big man garnered the attention of the Tiger D, Thomas cut to the basket and received the pass from Ledbetter for the easy bucket. It would not be Ledbetter’s last assist as he led the team with 6 on the night.
But Waynesville understood that this was a rivalry game and were not about to lay down. The Tigers were able to use a combination of ball movement and dribble penetration to create openings at the rim and from the perimeter to keep it close. At the end of the first period, Bulldogs led 19 to 15.
Second Quarter Slow Down
Waynesville came out strong in the 2nd quarter bolstered by starting the quarter with two technical free throws due to an error in the official scorebook on Rolla. They followed that with a steal and a lay-up on the Bulldogs first possession. The Tigers got a defensive stop on the next play leading to a driving layup by 6’2” Sr guard Brandon Jackson to give Waynesville their first lead of the game 21 to 19 with 6:36 in quarter 2.
But the Bulldogs are ranked #9 in Class 6 for a reason and answered the challenge on the next play. Thomas was able to rebound a Bulldog miss and kicked it out to Brown to reset the offense, as the Tiger defense scrambled to recover, Thomas relocated to the corner where Brown found him for an open 3. It would be a back and forth affair for the rest of the quarter.
With just over 2 minutes left in the first half, with the Bulldogs clinging to a 28-27 lead, the Tigers dropped back into a 2-3 zone. Brown was able to get a pain touch on the dribble drive and drop it down to an open Ledbetter who threw it down for a 2 hand dunk making sure that the Tiger would not get any closer.
The Bulldogs shooting touch wasn’t there in the 2nd period as they only shot 1 for 6 from 3 and shot 40% overall from the field. The Tigers on the other hand, shot 62% from the field. Despite the off shooting, the Bulldogs were able to get 7 more attempts thanks to 3 offensive rebounds and forcing 6 Tiger turnovers, allowing them to outscore the Tigers by 2 in the quarter sending them to halftime with a 36-30 lead.
Bulldogs Declaw the Tigers
The second half was all Bulldogs as they jumped out to a 9-0 run and 13-0 if you continue how they finished the first half. The Bulldogs offense scored in transition as well as in their sets. Inside, outside, and at the line.
The Bulldogs outscored the Tigers 23-8 in the 3rd period on 5 for 5 shooting from 2, going 3 for 7 from behind the arc and 4 for 4 from the free throw line. They handed out 7 assists while committing no turnovers.
If the offensive onslaught from Rolla wasn’t enough, the Bulldogs defense made it equally rough on the Tigers in that 3rd quarter as they were able to limit the Tigers to 20% shooting for the quarter while forcing 4 turnovers with 3 steals.
The Bulldogs ended the 3rd quarter scoring with another give and go this time between Ledbetter and Brown. Ledbetter recorded his 4th assist of the quarter as he found Brown cutting through the lane to throw down his second dunk of the game. Bulldogs went into the final period with a comfortable 59 to 38 lead.
The Bulldogs would control the game the rest of the way ending with a 74 to 57 victory as they moved to 18-4 on the season while Waynesville fell to 9-11.
The Wrap Up
Despite the closer than expected first half, it was a dominant win for the Rolla Bulldogs as they used their superior size to garner 42 points in the paint versus 24 for the Tigers. The Bulldogs were also able to score in transition, enjoying a 16 to 6 advantage.
Both teams shot well from the field with the Bulldogs winning the 2 point battle shooting 72% and going 8 for 8 at the free throw line while Waynesville hit 41% of their 17 3-pt attempts to Rolla’s 38% on 21 attempts.
The Bulldogs handed out 17 assists on the night and were able to limit their turnovers to 7 while forcing 16 from Waynesville. Ledbetter led the Bulldogs in assists with 6. Brown finished the game with a game high 38 pts on 14 of 19 shooting and pulled in 8 boards, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Thomas scored 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting.
For the Tigers, it was Jasckson scoring 21 points on 70% shooting, followed by their sharpshooter, 6’0” Sr guard Codye Black with 20 pts, going 4 of 8 from deep and running the point was 6’3” Jr guard Jerome Shelton who had a well-rounded game finishing with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Next Up
The Bulldogs take on the top team in the State, regardless of class, the Principia Panthers (19-2) as part of the Honor Flight Classic. Game time is scheduled for 5pm. Principia, ranked #1 in Class 3 in the State of Missouri, jumped out and played a national schedule this year and are led by 4 star shooting guard, 6’4” Quentin Coleman who has signed to play at Wake Forest. But he is not the lone D1 recruit as there are 5 other players who are actively being recruited by Power 4 and Mid-Major schools.
Their two losses came in two of the most prestigious national tournaments, finishing in 3rd place at the City of Palms Classic and at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.
Last season was a 50-68 loss for the Bulldogs in the Championship Game of the Holiday Hoops Tournament
Rolla is averaging 70.7 PPG vs Principia at 73.6 PPG
Rolla’s defense is allowing 54.2 PA whilePrincipia is at 54 PA
Common Opponent
Blair Oaks: Rolla L(56-67) & W(66-59) Principia W(75-46)
STATS Rolla 74, Waynesville 57
The individual scoring (FG-FT-TP):
Rolla (18-4): Thomas 7-2-18, Richter 2-0-5, Gideon 2-0-5, Ledbetter 3-0-6, Brown 14-6-38, Robinson 1-0-2
Waynesville (9-11): Black 7-2-20, Jackson 7-6-21, Shelton 2-2-8, Gonzales 1-0-2, Shick 2-2-6
The score by periods:
TEAM Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 F
Rolla 19 17 23 15 74
Waynesville 15 15 8 19 57
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