FAIRHOPE, Ala.,—Bears, Pirates, Tigers and Trojans came away with opening day wins Thursday in the third Bay Area Roundball Classic at Fairhope High. 

Baldwin County High defeated Gulf Shores 78-61 in the first contest, Daphne followed with a 76-60 win over Foley,  Robertsdale pulled away from a late Toro charge to top Spanish Fort 52-43 and the hosting Pirates held off Bayside Academy in a tight seesaw battle for a 58-55 final.

Trailing Fairhope 54-51 with 83 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Spencer Newman tied it for Bayside with a three-point basket and drew a shooting foul for the bonus. He then completed the four-point play to put the Admirals up a point 55-54.

Andrew Miller regained the lead for FHS 56-55 with a minute left and teammates Phillip  Martin and Davis Watson  combined for three free throws to lock in the final margin. Fairhope led 27-23 at the half and 42-36 after three periods. Bayside rallied early in the fourth quarter and led by four (51-47) four minutes in before FHS countered with a 7-0 run.

Miller and Tevin Brown led the Pirates with 14 points each and Watson — whose father Ralph Watson coaches the Admirals — added 13 and Martin seven. Newman finished with a game high 19 points. 

Newman finished with a game high 19 points, Craig Jones had 13, William Buhl eight and Seth Matthews seven for BA. The Admirals hit 15-of-22 free throws with 10-of-11 down the stretch.

 •  Earlier Thursday Rashad Hobby led his Golden Bears with a game-high 22 points for Robertsdale over the Toros.  Dylan Smith added 11 points for RHS which led 28-19 at the half. Spanish Fort closed the gap in the fourth quarter to a one-possession score of 39-36 with 5:07 remaining, but RHS replied with a 12-0 run down the stretch. Kevin Marion led SFHS with 11 points while Quinn Atkinson, Ladarrell Pettway and John Wesley Williamson were held to seven points each. 

•  In the Daphne-Foley game Tevin Rencher scored 14 points to lead the Trojans as teammates Bradley Nero supplied  12 points, Kareem Brown had 11 while Justin Thomas and Devonte Young each added 10. Romello Harris scored 25 points for the Lions which led the floor and the first round.

•  Baldwin County was led in scoring by Isiah Dortch who furnished 15 Tiger points and Khalia Ezell who added 11 against Gulf Shores in the first game of the tournament. The Dolphins’ John Pouparinas provided 14 points while Carter Brewton and Parker Mason each contributed 10 GSHS points.

Final rounds will be played Saturday at BCHS in Bay Minette beginning at 1:30 p.m. The championship is expected to start at 6 p.m.