GOOD HOPE, Ala. – The Good Hope Raiders and Lady Raiders were back home at D.E. Ryan Gymnasium Tuesday night to host a pair of matchups with the high-powered Priceville Bulldogs and both home teams came away with big wins. The Lady Raiders led Priceville by just three at halftime but pulled away in the second half to collect a 79-62 area win and improve to 11-0 while in the nightcap, the Raiders fought tooth and nail with the Bulldogs down to the wire before outscoring them 8-2 in the final three minutes of the game on their way to a 64-59, area win.
Good Hope 79 – Priceville 62 (Varsity Girls)
The Lady Raiders got off to a fast start in their game battle with Priceville. Three-pointers from Ivey Maddox and Bailey Tetro made it a 6-0 game less than a minute into the opening period. The Lady Bulldogs responded with some baskets on the other end but following three Charly Johnson free throws and another score by Maddox, Heather Tetro turned a steal into an easy bucket to keep Good Hope in front 13-7 midway through the first quarter. However, Priceville took control for the final two minutes of the period and was able to take a 16-15 lead into the second quarter.
A Rudi Derrick basket and a pair of free throws from Bailey Tetro put the Lady Raiders back ahead 19-18 early in the second and Derrick buried a three to keep them in front 22-21. Priceville reclaimed a 24-22 advantage later in the period, but Maddox dropped in a hook shot to tie the game at 24 and she chased it with another three-pointer to take a 27-24 lead for Good Hope. Derrick and Jolee McHan each scored in the final two minutes of the half and the Lady Raiders went into the locker room leading Priceville 31-28 at the break.
Heather Tetro converted an and-one play at the line to make it a 34-28 game at the start of the third and another three-pointer from Derrick stretched the lead to 37-30. That’s when everything started to fall for Good Hope. Three-pointers by Bailey Tetro, Maddox and Emma Thompson gave the Lady Raiders a 48-39 lead with three minutes remaining in the period and Heather Tetro added a three of her own in the final moments of the third to make it a 55-41 game going into the final frame.
Good Hope continued to pour it in from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter and led by 29 at one point in the fourth quarter. Priceville was able to make up some ground in the final two minutes but couldn’t overcome the big second half from the Lady Raiders and they held on to win it 79-62, improving to 11-0 on the season. Good Hope knocked down 14 three-pointers in the win, 10 of which came in the second half.
Maddox led the Lady Raiders with 23 points in the win. Heather Tetro finished with 19, Derrick added 13 and Bailey Tetro posted 12.
Lady Raiders Head Coach Justin Aby was happy to see his team turn big plays on the defensive end into scoring opportunities on the offensive end in the second half and wants them to build on tonight’s performance going forward.
“For us, everything starts on the defensive end. I thought in the first half we were playing sluggish. They were getting open looks, we weren’t sliding back to our spots, our help defense was terrible and then we adjusted in the second half. Yes, I do feel like we hit more shots in the second half but that came from our defensive pressure. Making things happen on the defensive end led to easy points,” Aby said. “Another thing that I really saw in the second half was a group of girls that really wanted to play together. They were turning down a good shot looking for a better shot and it wasn’t just one or two possessions; it was the whole second half. In the first half I thought we were stagnant; we weren’t making the extra pass but in the second half they started playing for each other and it clearly showed.”
Good Hope 64 – Priceville 59 (Varsity Boys)
K’mal Bell drilled a pair of three-pointers to help put the Raiders on top 10-5 early in the first quarter. Bell netted a pair of free throws to maintain a 5-point lead later in the period, but Priceville outscored Good Hope 11-3 in the final three minutes of the first to take an 18-15 lead going into the second.
Weston Hancock scored the next four baskets for the Raiders to trim the Bulldog lead to 27-24 midway through the second quarter and Jacob Haynes followed him with back to back threes to retake a 30-27 advantage for Good Hope. Colton Lindsey laid one in to stretch the lead to five and after another Haynes three-pointer made it a 35-29 game late in the period, the Raiders went into the locker room leading Priceville 36-31 at the break.
Lindsey sank a pair of free throws and Tyler Cone scored inside to keep the Raiders in front 40-36 and Hancock drained a three to make it 43-36 midway through the third. However, an 8-0 scoring run from the Bulldogs put Priceville back on top 44-43 with two minutes remaining in the period. That’s when Good Hope really started to heat up from long range, and three-pointers by Dakota Overton, Hancock and Ace Stricklin gave the Raiders a 52-45 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs were able to tie the game at 52 early in the fourth and even pulled ahead 55-52 at one point but Good Hope kept coming back. Lindsey and Cone each scored to trim the lead to 57-56 and Cone’s next basket put the Raiders back in front 58-57 with less than two minutes to play. The Bulldogs moved back ahead 59-58 but Overton buried a three with 50 seconds on the clock to give Good Hope a 61-59 lead. The Raiders got a stop on the other end and with just over 10 seconds on the clock, Bell drove to the basket and scored through a foul to put the Raiders up 63-59. Bell drilled the free throw to wrap up an impressive, 64-59 area win for Good Hope.
Bell led the Raiders with 16 points in the win and Hancock finished just behind him with 14. Haynes posted nine, Cone added eight, Lindsey scored seven and Overton finished with six.
Good Hope will be back in action Friday night at Hanceville.
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