HANCEVILLE – Day one of the 2018 Cullman County Basketball Tournament is in the books and featured a packed slate of matchups between young teams inside Tom Drake Coliseum on the campus of Wallace State Community College.
Ninth-Grade Boys Game One: Good Hope (5) 38, Holly Pond (4) 33
Game one for the ninth-grade boys got things started with the Holly Pond Broncos and the Good Hope Raiders. The Raiders dominated the first half, carrying a 25-10 lead into the locker room at the break, but Holly Pond came out swinging in the second half and cut into the Raiders’ lead. Broncos forward Ethan Burnham was a presence around the basket all afternoon, and his 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals went a long way toward getting Holly Pond back into the game. It was not enough however, as Good Hope scored just enough in the second half to keep the surging Broncos at bay. Raiders’ guard Michael Owens led the game with 18 points and had three steals. The Raiders advanced to round two and will face off against the first seed Fairview Aggies on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
JV Boys Game One: Hanceville (4) 44, Vinemont (5) 33
The first game of the JV boys bracket was up next and saw the Hanceville Bulldogs take down the Vinemont Eagles. Hanceville was in control for most of the game and led 28-18 at the start of the second half. Hanceville’s defense gave Vinemont problems during the second half and the Bulldogs managed to generate seven steals in the game which led to several easy baskets in transition. The Bulldogs’ Aiden Dye led the game with four steals and also put up four points on the offensive end. Jordan Hall led the way for Vinemont in a losing effort, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds. The Bulldogs advanced to face top-seeded Holly Pond at 5 p.m. on Monday.
JV Girls Game One: Good Hope (5) 22, Hanceville (4) 18
In the opening game of the JV girls bracket, the Hanceville Lady Bulldogs dropped the Lady Raiders of Good Hope in the lowest scoring contest of the day. The Bulldogs took a 13-8 lead into the locker room at halftime but did not score another basket until the 4:40 mark of the fourth quarter. Good Hope’s defense dialed up the pressure in the second half, forcing several of its total eight steals in the game. Not one player reached double-digits in scoring for either team, but Good Hope’s Savanna Burney led the game in both scoring and rebounding with nine points and 11 boards. The Lady Raiders will move on to round two to face the top seed in their bracket, the Cold Springs Lady Eagles, on Thursday at 5 p.m.
JV Boys Game Two: Fairview (3) 49, Good Hope (6) 27
In game two of the JV boys bracket, the Fairview Aggies jumped all over the Raiders of Good Hope. Fairview knocked down three shots from beyond the arc and stayed hot for the rest of the game. Fairview guard Dow Nichols led the game with 14 points, and his teammate in the back court, Austin Jackson, was close behind with 11, but it was the Aggies’ defense that really gave Good Hope fits. The Aggies pressured the Raiders and came up with nine steals, leading to a lot of quick baskets in transition. Fairview was also strong inside, with forwards Devin Gibson and Kole Robinson each registering two blocks. The Aggies will take on the second-seeded West Point Warriors in round two at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
JV Girls Game Two: West Point (3) 45, Holly Pond (6) 20
The West Point Lady Warriors and Holly Pond Lady Broncos squared off in Saturday’s last JV girls’ matchup, and it was all Lady Warriors from the start of the second quarter through the end of the game. The Lady Warriors got great performances from several players on the floor, including Sidney Smith who finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. West Point’s Ryleigh Jones led the game in scoring with 13 points, and her teammate Sheridan Bowers got up to 11 points late in the game thanks to her three steals. Holly Pond’s Sarah Finley led the Lady Broncos with nine points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Lady Warriors. West Point will match up with second-seeded Fairview in the semi-final round on Friday at 5 p.m.
JV Boys Game Three: West Point (2) 52, Cold Springs (7) 25
In the final game on Saturday’s slate, the West Point Warriors routed the Cold Springs Eagles 52-25 thanks to a stingy performance on defense and long-range shooting. West Point took a big lead early, starting the second quarter with a 15-2 advantage, and the Eagles were never able to get much closer than that. The Warriors’ offense was clicking, thanks in large part to guard Kobe Bowers’ game-high 18 points and three steals. Bowers’ partner in the back court, Tyler White, also had a big night, dropping 13 points and coming up with three steals of his own. Eagles forward Hunter Freeman managed to score eight, but turnovers and missed free throws plagued Cold Springs for all four quarters. The Warriors will take on third-seeded Fairview in the semi-final round on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
The Cullman County Basketball Tournament will take a day off on Sunday, but the action will crank back up Monday night at 5 with a JV boys matchup between Holly Pond and Hanceville.
Click here to see a photo gallery of today's action.
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