HANCEVILLE – It was the final game of the 2018 Cullman County Basketball Tournament, and the Broncos made history, taking back-to-back title for the first time ever, and winning their third title in four years. Final score: Holly Pond 66, West Point 46.
Early on, each team traded baskets and turnovers. After a Kolton Sapp layup gave the Warriors a 6-5 lead, McKinley Garrett hit one of his own to give the Broncos the lead right back, and from there, Griffin Morris took over for Holly Pond, scoring the final 11 points of the quarter, giving the Broncos an 18-11 advantage after one.
A Sapp layup cut the deficit to 24-15 in the second quarter, but then a 6-0 Bronco lead increased their advantage to 30-15, and both teams traded baskets and points the rest of the quarter. Holly Pond took a 36-21 lead into the locker room.
Both teams traded baskets again to start the third period. Austin Dubberly hit a pair of layups for West Point to make it a 38-25 ballgame, but then Holly Pond completely took over from there, as a Jake Harris three started a 16-0 run for the Broncos to widen their lead to 54-25 and a Coby Sullins trey ended the Bronco run and Whit Laney completed an and-one for West Point, but the damage was already done by Holly Pond as they would take a 56-35 lead into the final quarter.
West Point continued to fight and claw its way back into the game in the fourth, outscoring the Broncos, 11-10, in the final period, but the deficit proved to be too much for the Warriors as Holly Pond took home its third county championship title in the last four seasons.
Morris ended up with 19 points and a pair of steals, and he earned a spot on the All-Tournament team, along with his teammate, Zach Shaw, who finished with 11 points, three boards and two steals. Harris also scored 11 points of his own. Garrett chipped in with six points, six rebounds, two steals and a block. Chaney had five points, five boards, two blocks and a steal, and Boatright added five points as well. The Broncos will go home to take on Arab next Tuesday.
Dubberly led the way for West Point with 10 points, four rebounds and a steal. Sapp finished with eight points and two steals. Whit Laney also finished with eight points and added two rebounds. Sullins finished with six points and a steal. The Warriors will head home to take on Cold Springs next Tuesday on senior night.
Morris and Shaw were joined by Fairview's Luke Yarbrough and Bryson Fletcher, Good Hope's Isaac McDonald and West Point's Sullins and Sapp on the All-Tournament team.
Morris and Garrett were named to the All-County team as well, and they were joined by Good Hope's Cole Maddox and McDonald, Fairview's Fletcher and Yarbrough, West Point's Sapp and Dubberly, Cold Springs' Hunter McClendon, Vinemont's Katch Johnson and Hanceville's R.J. Evans and Brendan Flanigan.
McDonald won the Eli Thomas Memorial Scholarship Award for $1,000, while Morris won the Joe Schults Award.
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