HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Thursday night’s first varsity matchup at the Cullman County Tournament featured the top-seeded Good Hope Lady Raiders and the West Point Lady Warriors. West Point battled for four quarters but was overwhelmed by the Lady Raiders and Good Hope punched its ticket to Saturday’s county championship game with a 72-38 win.
Bailey Tetro knocked down a three and Charly Johnson scored inside to give the Lady Raiders a quick, 5-0 lead and three-pointers from Ivey Maddox and Heather Tetro made it 11-3 just a couple possessions later. Another three by Heather Tetro put Good Hope in front 15-3 midway through the period and Maddox scored on back to back possessions to extend the lead to 19-3. Liberty and Laklin Shadix each scored to stop the run and trim the lead to 19-7 but the Lady Raiders got three-pointers from Maddox and Rudi Derrick in the final minute of the first to make it a 25-7 game going into the second.
Derrick and Liberty Shadix traded baskets at the start of the second quarter to make it 27-9 but Heather Tetro’s third three-pointer of the night put Good Hope ahead 30-9. Jaelyn Faulkner laid one in and Liberty Shadix drilled a pair of deep threes to cut the lead to 32-17 midway through the second and another three-pointer from Ella Minck made it a 34-20 game with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Johnson scored inside and Bailey Tetro sank a pair of free throws to add to the Raider lead, but Liberty Shadix converted an and-one play and Camryn Faulkner buried a three just before the buzzer to trim the lead to 40-26 at the half.
A pair of baskets from Johnson and another three by Heather Tetro made it a 47-29 game early in the third quarter. Laklin Shadix and Johnson each hit a pair of free throws to keep the score at 49-31 midway through the period but Maddox scored the next seven points of the game to stretch the lead to 56-31. Hallie Wheeler drained a three for West Point to make it a 56-34 later in the third but the Lady Raiders got buckets from Derrick and Maddox in the final minute of the quarter to give Good Hope a 60-34 advantage going into the final frame.
Maddox’s fourth three-pointer of the game extended the lead to 63-34 at the start of the fourth quarter and Bailey Tetro laid one in to make it 65-34. With the clock running the rest of the way, the Lady Raiders were able to cruise to a 72-38 win and secure their spot in the varsity girls’ finals.
Maddox racked up a game-high 26 points in the win. Johnson and Heather Tetro each added 12 and Bailey Tetro finished with nine. Liberty Shadix led the Lady Warriors with 16 points in the loss, followed by Laklin Shadix with seven.
Good Hope will advance to take on either Fairview or Cold Springs in the county championship game Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
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