HANCEVILLE – Getting to know the personnel is what new Cullman girls’ basketball coach Josh Hembree is doing with his team during the month of June.
His ball club is also learning all about his coaching philosophy.
In closing out two consecutive days of games on the campus of Wallace State Community College, the Lady Bearcats will now move forward and eye the 2016-17 season that presents optimistic opportunities.
Cullman started well on Wednesday morning inside Tom Drake Coliseum by a 20-2 lead at halftime over Ranburne. Ranburne came back and started to get shots to fall, but Cullman had such a huge lead, the Lady Bearcats were able to maintain and won 41-27.
Hembree comes to Cullman after creating a successful program at Darlington High School in Rome, Georgia.
Cullman struggled in the win-loss column last season with only four victories. Jessica Posey resigned after the season with the vacancy filled in the spring when the school board approved Hembree to take over the program.
His team has game time experience in Anna Bowden and JK Eastman at the ball-handling guard position, Anna Evans at forward, Kennedy Wren at shooting guard and Victoria Barker in the post.
The rest of the squad will consist of players that were involved in junior varsity the previous year.
Cullman fought hard in its second assignment Wednesday afternoon, but was defeated by Pleasant Grove 37-22. They finished their tripleheader in the evening time on the floor in the Wellness Center with a 40-39 loss to Briarwood Christian.
Cullman had a double-digit advantage but was unable to maintain it. The game was decided in the final half minute with Briarwood moving ahead then Cullman getting back the lead on a running jumper off the right side with 12 seconds left by Bowden.
Briarwood then worked the ball toward its basket vs. the Cullman press, scoring on a layup with time running out. Even the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in June affects those who were involved in a very competitive encounter.
Hembree's team dealt with good opponents Tuesday in Locust Fork, Hewitt-Trussville and Hanceville.
The play-days were coordinated by Birmingham-Southern College assistant Rena Holden, a former Wallace State standout in the late 1990s under Hall of Fame coach Larry Slater.
Locust Fork is using these play-days as a chance to adjust from 4A hoops, going back to Class 3A after the AHSAA realigned in January.
Locust Fork will be in the same area with Holly Pond from Cullman County and Blount County neighbors J.B. Pennington and Susan Moore.
The last two years, coach Barbara Roy and her Lady Hornets encountered a county team in area play in the Good Hope Lady Raiders while in 4A.
Locust Fork knows they will be seriously challenged by Holly Pond with a new leader on the sidelines in Paige Parker-Adams.
Priceville and Locust Fork share something in common. They met last season in the 4A Sub-Regional with Locust Fork winning 75-61.
Priceville took 7A power Hazel Green to the closing seconds, falling short 31-27. Priceville led in the last minute until Hazel Green got a running jumper from its point guard with 0:39 remaining and added three of four from the line.
The trend for the day ended in excitement to the comparison of Game 7 of the NBA Finals from Sunday. Pleasant Grove edged Anniston 49-48 in the coliseum, hitting the game winner with 12 seconds left while Anniston missed as time expired.
Then came the Cullman-Briarwood contest that went up for grabs when the game reached the final minute.
Holden plans to bring the play-days back to Wallace State in 2017 with thoughts of more teams and several more days on the schedule.
