HOLLY POND, Ala. – The Holly Pond Broncos tipped off the 2A, Area 13 Tournament on their home court Tuesday night and after a slow start in the opening period against West End, the Broncos began to heat up in the second and rode that momentum to a 57-31 win over the Patriots. With the win, Holly Pond has secured a spot in Friday night’s area tournament finals and next week’s sub-regional round.
It took over half of the first quarter for either team to get points on the board, but Carson Ryan was finally able to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead after knocking down a three-pointer from the right corner. The Patriots responded with a basket on the other end to make it 3-2 but Ryan followed with a three from the left corner to stretch the lead to 6-2. Sawyer Olinger added another three-pointer to put Holly Pond in front 9-2 with less than two minutes to play in the first and Kollin Brown laid one in just before the end of the period to make it an 11-4 game going into the second.
Brown buried a pair of three-pointers to extend the lead to 17-6 early in the second quarter and a pair of Christian Couch buckets made it 21-6 midway through the period. Olinger scored off a turnover to put the Broncos up 23-8 with two minutes remaining in the second and Holly Pond held onto a 15-point lead going into the halftime break.
Baskets by Levi Farr and Gunnar McBee added to the Bronco lead early in the third quarter and Blake Rickard drilled a three to make it a 30-10 game. West End used free throws to trim the lead to 30-12 with three minutes remaining in the quarter but Jackson Wilkins answered with back to back three-pointer layup on the other end to keep Holly Pond in front 36-14. The Patriots cut the lead to 36-17 late in the third but Rickard buried a three at the buzzer to make it a 39-17 game at the start of the fourth.
Brown and Diego Garcia each scored to stretch the lead to 43-20 early in the fourth quarter and Rickard drained another three to make it 46-22. Brown’s next three-pointer made it a 49-22 game and Rickard converted and and-one play on the next possession to give extend the lead to 30 with five minutes to play. With the clock running throughout the remainder of the final frame, the Broncos pulled away to win it over West End 57-31.
Brown led Holly Pond with 13 points in the win, followed by Rickard with 12, Olinger with eight and Ryan and Wilkins with six.
The Broncos will remain at home and get back on the court Friday night at 6:30 p.m. to face either Decatur Heritage or Falkville in the 2A, Area 13 Tournament title game.
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