West Point's Colton Sapp (1) shoots from the line vs. Hatton. / Johnny Thornton
FALKVILLE – West Point and Vinemont began the final week of play-day basketball on the campus of Falkville High School. Both teams are scheduled to play a series of games here Monday and Friday, using this time as preparation for the 2017-18 season.
The Tribune witnessed games in Tom Drake Gymnasium with West Point romping over Hatton 65-34 while Vinemont fell to Danville 70-41 and Lindsay Lane 51-43.
West Point had back-to-back assignments in the late afternoon in Falkville's elementary gymnasium.
West Point was battle tested by Hatton during the first half, with the Warriors holding a slim 25-19 lead at intermission. In the second half, the offense caught fire as West Point outscored Hatton 40-15 to create a one-sided affair.
Tyler Thompson was a huge factor in the second half scoring for Randy Jones' Warriors with 10 of his game-high 12 points. Guard Colton Sapp tossed in 10 with Austin Dubberly scoring six, Skyler Bowers five, Rylan Jones, Colby Sullins and Dalton White four each, Cameron Bates and Noah Allison three each.
Thompson scored four field goals in a span of four minutes, allowing the Warriors to move the lead to 52-26 and coast in the final 8:00.
Close first halves not enough for Vinemont:
Vinemont battled hard in both games with Danville and Lindsay Lane, especially in the first half.
The Eagles got into an entertaining opening stanza with Danville, as the game was tied five times with the lead changing sides five times. Danville scored the last four points in the half and led 23-22 at the break.
Danville changed the course of the game in the second half, hitting the scoreboard for 47 points, knocking down seven treys while Vinemont had trouble scoring, having two droughts that accounted for a total of 10 minutes.
Ketch Johnson led Vinemont with a dozen on four made threes, Jack Hill scored eight, Conner Handley had six, Carl Price, Clay Shipp tallied three, Hudson Wood five and Adam Dunn and Mitch Ford two apiece.
Against Lindsay Lane, the Eagles were down 11-4, then went on a 10-0 run and led 14-11 with 8:10 to play in the half on a layup by Hill.
Lindsay Lane came back and tied the game at 16-16 with 7:00 to go and finished the half on a 9-2 run and a 25-18 advantage at the break.
The Lions zoomed to a 38-23 advantage at the 11:33 mark and were able to keep coach Todd Johnson's Eagles at arm's length. Hill responded with six points in the second half to assist eight points by Johnson, two shots from long range.
Johnson was again the leader in the scoring column, hitting for 14 with Hill having a 12-point outing. Shipp accounted for six with Wood scoring four.
West Point is back at Falkville for games on Tuesday vs. Section at 1:05 p.m., New Hope at 4:45 and Hartselle at 7:45 p.m.
Vinemont is back to Falkville on Friday as is West Point, in the final day the AHSAA allows basketball play days for the summer season.
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