HANCEVILLE – Holly Pond coach Mitch Morris pointed out that the Broncos have had some slow starts in recent games on the hardwood. They had the same experience Thursday night at Lane Horton Gymnasium, with Hanceville controlling the tempo for the first quarter.
That changed in a hurry once the game moved into the second period. Holly Pond got Hanceville to commit a series of mistakes, giving the Broncos a chance to run a faster pace. A 23-5 run in the second proved to be the turning point for a 71-37 victory, with the Broncos still undefeated after seven games.
"We had been playing a little slow in our last two games before tonight," Morris stated after the victory. "When we missed our first shot, we were not aggressive and we let Hanceville have some easy drives and pass the ball around to slow the pace."
Holly Pond ended the first by getting the lead on a 3-pointer from Jacob Harris and never trailed for the rest of the night. The score was 13-12 Broncos following the first 8:00.
Two baskets in a span of 10 seconds from Mathis Garrett and Andrew Shaw began a surge in which the Broncos would outscore the Bulldogs 17-3 and lead 32-15 with less than 3:00 to go in the first half as Bailey Smith knocked down a three from the left wing.
The first half ended with the Broncos ahead 36-17, going on a 23-5 tear in the second, getting 10 field goals, four from downtown, and keeping the Bulldogs from scoring for five-and-a-half minutes.
Seven times the Broncos scored on shots in the third period as the lead went to 58-33. At one point, the Broncos hit five of six from the line after they were fouled by Hanceville players attempting 3-point field goals.
Morris had his starters on the bench at the start of the fourth and the reserves responded with the game going under the hot clock rule when Shaw scored on a steal at the 5:00 mark and the Broncos had the advantage at 66-35.
The Broncos have scored more than 70 points a game so far this season. Their current average is 78; they were on the road tonight for the first time since the season opener at New Hope Nov. 10.
Drew Jones was the hot shooter for the Broncos with 25, Shaw and Matt Cahoon scored 11, Griffin Morris five, Harris, Garrett, Caleb Jones, Dawson Foust and Smith finished with three points each.
Hanceville fell to 3-5 on the season. Leading the Bulldogs were R.J. Evans with 12, Fred Ellis 10, Raiden Morgan eight, Brandon Flanigan three and Alex Campbell and Damien Johnson two each.
The Broncos go to Cold Springs Friday night, continuing a brief tour away from Felton Easterwood Gymnasium. Hanceville is at Oakman to start 3A, Area 12 play.
Hanceville 41, Holly Pond 39 (Girls):
In a game where the winner would break a losing streak, Hanceville prevailed by going on a 9-0 run in the final 3:26 when the Lady Bulldogs were down by seven points.
Holly Pond guard Ruth Horton hit her fifth 3-pointer of the game, this one with 4:06 remaining, and the Lady Broncos moved the advantage to 39-32.
That was the last time they scored in this battle.
Hanceville used three free throws and a field goal by Malia Howell and baskets from Cassidy Campbell and Karmen Johnson to cap off a fantastic finish and end a skid of seven consecutive losses for coach Christina Watson.
Johnson followed up a missed shot by Kierra Merriweather, banking it off the glass with 0:07 remaining, that broke the tie.
Holly Pond got one final shot with a three just inside halfcourt by Taylor Tankersley bouncing off the front of the rim. The Lady Broncos suffered their fifth straight loss for new coach Paige Parker-Adams.
The last four losses for the Lady Broncos have been by a combined total of 13 points.
Campbell ripped the cords for 15 for the Lady Bulldogs with Johnson scoring nine, Merriweather eight, Howell five and Desi Hackney four.
Horton, who started one of five in shooting from 3-point range, made four of her last six attempts and scored 15 in a losing cause. Kolby Holcombe netted nine, Molly Gambrill six, Haley Higginbotham three with Tankersley and Liz Miller two each.
The Lady Broncos go to Cold Springs Friday, matching Parker-Adams against her alma mater and her former head coach, Tammy West, for the first time in her varsity coaching career.
Cold Springs comes into the game 6-0, defeating Hanceville earlier this week at Lane Horton Gym 52-37.
Hanceville is at Oakman to begin play in 3A, Area 12.
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