COLD SPRINGS — A score for the time being was settled by the Cold Springs Eagles Monday night in shooting their way by the Holly Pond Broncos 81-61.
The win snapped a 5-game victory streak for the Broncos, who lost for the first time in December and the first time on the road.
It was sweet revenge for the Eagles as they settled the pain of an 87-80 loss at Holly Pond 17 days earlier when they were unable to hold on to the lead in the fourth quarter.
These two went after each other in the opening quarter. They exchanged the lead on the scoreboard at Jesse George Gymnasium with the Eagles going on top 14-13 when the period ended.
Then it was time for Triston Chambers to take over the game offensively for the No. 5 Eagles in the state’s 2A rankings. Chambers was responsible for 22 points in the second with seven field goals, four treys and four from the line.
That sparked a 28-point second period and Tim Willoughby’s ballclub increased the margin to 42-31 when the game reached halftime.
Holly Pond went to pressure as Chambers was involved in attacking it from the backcourt. That changed how the Eagles would use him in the second half. He scored only twice from the line in the third, but Josh Freeman was a factor with 10, including three free throws inside the final second to move the margin to 16 points at 62-46.
Freeman, Jesse Lee and Blake Wood were responsible for a 10-0 run after the Broncos had closed the gap to 52-46 with Bailey Smith leading the charge by hitting for seven in the frame.
Up by 16, the Eagles kept the Broncos at arms length and finished the second half with 15 of 18 from the foul line for 83 percent. Freeman was seven of seven with Eli Hamby going four of four and Chambers three of four.
Chambers did finish with 34 to send the Eagles to their 12th victory in 15 games with 21 coming from Freeman and eight apiece by Lee and Wood.
Holly Pond dropped to 12-2. Leading the No. 2 Broncos from Class 3A were Smith with 17, Griffin Morris 16, Drew Jones 10 and six by Caleb Jones and Dylan Basenburg.
Cold Springs 55 – Holly Pond 24 (Girls)
Determined to stop two consecutive losses on the home floor, the Lady Eagles did just that and used a box-and-one defense that kept Holly Pond off balance the entire evening.
The Lady Eagles never allowed sharpshooter Ruth Horton to get open looks, keeping her scoreless on field goals. The Lady Broncos just connected on eight shots the entire game and managed only three to go down in the fourth quarter.
Cold Springs found a new weapon to go with the likes of Emily Willoughby and Bailey West. It was Rilee White who scored five times in the first half around the basket, getting good passes from Camryn Crider, Kaleigh Merring and West to give the team a weapon from close range.
The Lady Eagles went from a 16-5 lead after the first to 36-12 at the half and 47-17 going into the fourth.
Willoughby popped the cords for 21 with West scoring 13 and White having 10 as Tammy West’s unit went to 10-6 before the Christmas holidays.
Molly Gambrill had nine for the 10-5 Lady Broncos while Taylor Tankersley produced six.
Both teams will see one another next week in the Decatur Orthopedic Clinic Classic. Cold Springs will face Huntsville at 11 a.m. next Monday while Holly Pond has a 12:30 p.m. first round game with Talladega County.
