The Bulldogs celebrate after their overtime tournament victory Friday night. / Norman Bush
HANCEVILLE – The 35th annual Hanceville Thanksgiving Tournament wrapped on Friday evening, with the home team Hanceville Bulldogs taking the crown, in overtime, 45-42, against Corner.
The first game of the day saw Falkville Blue Devils take a close one from the Curry Yellow Jackets, 66-61.
The third-place game was a showdown between the Tarrant Wildcats and the Dora Bulldogs. Dora came out on top, 56-43.
The first period of the Tarrant and Dora contest was a slow one, with the Bulldogs taking an 11-7 lead. In the second, Dora blew things wide open, outscoring the Wildcats 23-10. At the break, the score stood at 34-17.
In the third, the Bulldogs kept up the pressure widening their lead to 48-24.
The Wildcats attempted a comeback, but the Bulldogs were having none of that.
Final score: Dora 57, Tarrant 43
The final game of the night matched the Hanceville Bulldogs against the Corner Yellow Jackets for the tournament title.
As time expired in a slow-going opening period, the Bulldogs’ Raiden Morgan banked a 3-pointer, giving Hanceville a 10-6 lead.
The Bulldogs opened the second by banking two more 3-pointers, back-to-back. They outscored the Yellow Jackets 16-6 to extend their lead at half to 26-12.
In the fourth, the Yellow Jackets perked up, going on a 14-6 run to tie the game 38-38 with 1:40 left to play. The Bulldogs would take the lead back quickly, 40-38, before the Yellow Jackets tied it up again, 40-40 with: 59 seconds to go. Time ran out in the fourth with score all tied up, 40-40.
Jumping into overtime, the Yellow Jackets took a one-point lead, but the Bulldogs answered back, getting the last 3 points to win the tournament, 45-42.
Hanceville’s Brendan Flanigan led the Bulldogs with 15 points, and R.J. Evans ended up with 10.
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