GOOD HOPE — Junior forward Matt Cofer forgot about a tough performance on Monday night in a 60-25 Good Hope Raiders' loss to No. 5 Cold Springs and came back with his best game of the season Thursday evening in a 53-42 triumph over Vinemont at D.E. Ryan Gymnasium.
Cofer came out ready to play. It showed, with the junior scoring four field goals in the opening stanza, putting the Raiders ahead by the score of 13-10.
That would set the tone for Cofer to finish with a 30-point effort and the Raiders broke a three-game losing streak for rookie coach Chris Harris.
Cofer would duplicate the second quarter as he had in the first, three field goals and a three-pointer. His nine in the period keyed a 17-8 spurt, and the Raiders broke open the battle with a 30-18 halftime cushion.
The junior continued to lead the charge for his team. In the third, Cofer scored seven on two shots along with another three, and the Raiders tallied a 15-5 advantage in scoring and moved to a 45-23 lead, 8:00 left to be finished.
However, Good Hope’s large advantage was cut by a Vinemont attack that scored 19 in the last quarter, finishing the game with a 9-0 run after the Raiders led 53-33 with under 4:00 to play.
Vinemont got five shots to fall in the period and was six of seven at the line. Garrett Boland was scoreless through the third for the Eagles but rebounded with a seven-point fourth stanza to provide his team something they were looking for on offense.
Corbin Barnett led the Eagles with nine on three treys with Zac Thomas tossing in eight on two treys and a field goal.
Supporting Cofer’s 30 for the 5-9 Raiders was Caleb Sharpton with eight, Blake Lyle with five and Mason Moniz with a three-pointer.
A concern for Vinemont was junior center Jaython Blanton. Blanton suffered a cut above his left eye in the third quarter when he drew a charge from Lyle who was driving to the basket.
Blanton was taken to the emergency room with his status undetermined for Friday’s game between Vinemont and Sumiton Christian in the St. Bernard Prep School Christmas Tournament.
Good Hope 54 – Vinemont 11 (Girls)
Eight of the nine Lady Raiders scored in their final game before the Christmas holidays. Good Hope controlled the game from the start, leading 20-3 after the first, 37-5 at the half and 49-11 following the third period.
Kaylee Maddox netted 13 for the Lady Raiders, who improved to 7-8 and ended a two-game slide. Kate Kent and Skylar Hembree scored eight with Micah Oldacre, Sadie Abbott and Kelly Pickett getting six and Miriam Oldacre and Caitlyn Johnson four points.
Leading Vinemont was Laura Smithson with eight, Zoe Thomas two and Sarah Smith one. The Lady Eagles have lost three straight after they got their first win last Thursday at home over West End of Walnut Grove.
The Lady Eagles join the Eagles in the St. Bernard Tournament with a Friday game against Sumiton Christian at 4:15 p.m. and an 11 a.m. game on Saturday vs. St. Bernard.
