NORTHPORT -- Class 7A Tuscaloosa County High School outlasted Class 4A Greensboro, 51-48, to defend its Wildcat Classic title on Wednesday in high school basketball action.

TCHS outscored the Raiders 14-11 and went 5 of 6 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Greensboro’s Damigual Edwards tied things up, 37-37, at the end of the third quarter by banking in a 3-point shot.

“We knew coming in that they’ve got some guys that can shoot it really well from the outside and that are really athletic,” Wildcats coach Curt Weeks said. “We wanted to make sure we controlled the tempo, and I thought we did that for the most part tonight. There were one or two little runs where we didn’t control it, but that had a lot to do with us turning the ball over and allowing them to make some plays in transition.”

TCHS (6-7) jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but the Raiders (13-7) chipped away at the deficit. The Wildcats had a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Raiders led at halftime, 24-21.

“We played against a great team,” Greensboro coach Barry Williams said. “Coach Weeks does a great job. He is a class act, and we played against a good, 7A opponent and I was pleased with the way they fought back. I like playing tough competition such as Tuscaloosa County to prepare us for up and coming area play.”

Freshman guard Devin Collins led TCHS in scoring with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Jamichael Brand finished with 13 points.

“We were able to regain our composure and get the tempo back where we wanted it, and I was real proud of that,” Weeks said. “That is a good win for us, and anytime you can win a tournament it’s a big deal, so I was really proud of our kids.”

Edwards led Greensboro in scoring with 15 points, including a pair of 3s. Sam Nevels had 14 points, including three 3s.