HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Tuesday was the start of the 38th annual Hanceville Thanksgiving Tournament at Lane Horton Gymnasium and the Cold Springs Eagles played their first matchup of the event against the Corner Yellow Jackets. After taking a 9-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the Eagles grinded out a low-scoring fourth quarter to hold off Corner 47-43 and advance through the winner’s bracket.
Cold Springs took an early 7-2 lead in the first quarter after a three-pointer from Micah Calvert and the Eagles continued to pile on early. They took a 15-4 lead after an and-one play by Brodi Williams and led things 17-6 going into the second quarter. Cold Springs stretched its lead at the start of the second but a pair of free throws from Corner cut it to 22-11 early in the period. Seth Williams knocked in his first three of the night to make it a 25-14 game midway through the second and he banked in another with just 30 seconds in the half to put the Eagles up 28-19 at the break.
Offensive rebounds and full court pressure allowed the Yellow Jackets to cut into the lead early in the third and they eventually pulled ahead 31-30 for their first lead of the night. Cold Springs managed to move back in front and a baseline floater from Calvert put them on top 35-31 late in the third quarter. The scoring run continued for the Eagles and they took a 39-34 lead into the final frame.
Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard much in the fourth quarter. Both teams were scoreless until a pair of Yellow Jackets free throws trimmed the lead to 39-36 with six minutes to play and a quick steal and basket on the ensuing inbound pass made it 39-38. An Adam Hill basket put Cold Springs ahead 41-38 midway through the fourth and Logan Rice knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 43-38 with just over two minutes remaining.
Corner scored with 42 seconds on the clock to cut the lead to three but a free throw from Hill and three free throws from Calvert in the final seconds put the game out of reach. The Yellow Jackets knocked down a three with just a second left to play but it was too late to overcome the Cold Springs lead and the Eagles held on to win it 47-43.
Calvert led Cold Springs with 11 points in the win, followed by Seth Williams with nine, Rice with eight, Brody Peppers with seven and Hill and Tanner Kilgo with four. The Eagles will play in the winner’s bracket of the Hanceville Thanksgiving Tournament against Moody Wednesday at 6:30.
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