Good Hope's Cole Maddox (2) attacks the basket during the Raiders' 64-62 loss at D.A.R. Tuesday night. (Martha Needham for The Cullman Tribune)
GRANT – Good Hope's boys looked to move on to the Northeast Regional at Jacksonville State when they traveled to Grant to take on the D.A.R. Patriots Tuesday night. D.A.R., though, had other plans and wound up winning the game, 64-62, ending a stellar season for Good Hope.
The Patriots got off to a very hot start, jumping out to a quick 15-8 lead. They later stretched it to 20-10, but Good Hope had an answer as Cole and Drew Maddox each hit a trey to make it a 20-16 game. However, D.A.R. scored the final eight points of the quarter and went into the second period up 28-16.
Matt Dixon got a huge steal and a layup to start out the scoring for the Raiders and later in the second, a three by Cole Maddox, plus five points in a row from Noah Fendley, cut the deficit to just four at 30-26. The Patriots later nailed a long-range shot to make it 36-28, but Good Hope's Michael Lowe hit a pair from the line and Cole Maddox nailed one from long-range to make it a 36-33 score at the half.
After a D.A.R. free throw increased the Patriots’ lead to 40-35, Good Hope forced some turnovers and made them count as an 8-0 run put the Raiders ahead 43-40, but the Patriots countered with an 8-0 run of their own to make it 48-43. They held a 50-45 lead going into the final period.
Cole Maddox hit a layup to make it 50-47, and Fendley later nailed a trey to tie the game up at 52. Four free throws by Tanner Malin, plus baskets by Lowe and Cole Maddox, gave Good Hope a 60-54 lead, but everything changed with a little over two minutes to play in the game.
Fendley got a very controversial technical foul called on him and the Patriots hit both shots from the line, plus a three from the top of the key, to make it a 60-59 game. Good Hope looked to increase its lead but missed a shot from the stripe, allowing D.A.R. to take advantage and hit four straight free throws, giving the Patriots a 63-60 lead. Cole Maddox got a rebound and a putback to make it 63-62. The Patriots split from the line to make it a one-possession game and that gave the Raiders one last chance to win it, but their last-second heave from half court fell short and they wound up falling 64-62.
Cold Maddox led the way for Good Hope with 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Fendley added 12 points and four steals. Lowe (six rebounds and seven blocks) and Drew Maddox (six steals) each ended up with 10 points. Malin added four points. Eli Phares finished with two points, five rebounds and a steal. Dixon ended up with two points, a block and a steal.
Good Hope's season ended with a record of 23-7. Good Hope will lose two key players to graduation in May, so the Raiders will have almost everyone coming back as they look to make another deep postseason run next year.
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