HANCEVILLE, Ala. – After battling Vinemont on the road earlier this week, Hanceville returned home to Lane Horton Gymnasium Friday night to host a pair of area matchups with the Bulldogs of Ashville. Hanceville edged out Ashville in the girls’ game 48-46 and in the boys’ game, Hanceville pulled away late to collect a 62-54 area win.
Hanceville 46 – Ashville 44 (Varsity Girls)
Ashville scored the first four points of the game to take a 4-0 lead early in the game, but a rebound and putback by Sierra Brockman, plus a steal and a layup by Aaliyah Twitty, tied the game up at four. A three from the left wing by Alex Twitty gave Hanceville a 7-5 lead, then they made it 9-5 on a steal and a layup by Mattie Keith. Three free throws by Ashville made it a one-point game with a little over a minute to go in the opening period, but Kerrigon Moore found Piper Butts down low for a basket to give Hanceville an 11-8 lead. A pair of late baskets by Ashville gave them a 12-11 lead going into the second period.
A basket by Aaliyah Twitty, plus a rebound and putback by Kate Sterling, made it a 15-14 game. Another rebound and putback, this time, by Cierra Merriweather, gave Hanceville a 17-16 lead. Sterling hit a pair of baskets late in the second to make it a 22-20 game, but Ashville tied it on the other end. Alex Twitty quickly broke the tie with a trey from the right wing just before the buzzer to give Hanceville a 25-22 lead at the half.
Hanceville looked to stretch its lead out to start the third quarter. Another rebound and putback by Sterling, plus a layup each by Keith and Aaliyah Twitty, made it a 32-22 game. Ashville stopped the run with a basket inside, but Aaliyah Twitty put in a pair of layups, Brockman drilled a trey, and Alex Twitty added a layup of her own, to push Hanceville’s lead to 42-26 going into the final period.
Another fast-break layup by Aaliyah Twitty made it a 44-26 game early in the fourth, but Ashville countered in a huge way. They scored the next 16 points to cut it to 44-42 with less than two minutes to go in the game. Keith split a pair of free throws on two trips to the free throw line to make it a 46-44 game with four seconds left, and Kynzlee Farr drew the biggest charge of the game, as that helped Hanceville seal the huge 46-44 region win at home.
Aaliyah Twitty led the way for Hanceville (5-13, 2-0) with 13 points. Alex Twitty put in nine points. Sterling added eight points, while Keith and Brockman each put in six points.
Hanceville 62 – Ashville 54 (Varsity Boys)
Hanceville got off to a great start offensively, as a pair of baskets by Konnor Helms, and an and-one by J.T. Davis, gave them a quick 7-1 lead. Ashville converted on their and-one opportunity to make it a 9-7 game, and later drilled a trey to cut it to 11-10. Peyton Twilley hit one of his own on the other end to make it a 14-10 game. A pair of baskets down low by Drake Bentley, including a rebound and putback, gave Hanceville an 18-16 lead going into the second period.
There were several ties in the second quarter as both teams went back and forth. Baskets each by Davis and Helms gave Hanceville a 22-20 lead. Later on, a pair of Helms free throws made it a 26-24 game, but Ashville got the lead right back on a trey. A late basket by Eli Clements, though, gave Hanceville a 28-27 lead at the half.
Noah Jones put in a three from the right wing to push Hanceville’s lead to 31-27 early in the third, but five straight points by Ashville gave them the lead right back at 32-31. Helms, though, countered with five straight points of his own, including an and-one, to give Hanceville the lead once again at 36-32. Layups by Carson Garrett and Jones increased Hanceville’s lead to 40-34, but a late run by Ashville gave them a 44-42 lead. Logan Keith split his free throws to make it a 44-43 game going into the final quarter.
Ashville put in a long-range shot to make it a 47-43 game, but Noah Douglas picked the perfect time to get on the scoreboard. He put in back-to-back treys from the left corner to give Hanceville a 49-47 lead, then a layup by Garrett and a pair of free throws by Helms pushed their lead to 53-47 with 3:49 remaining in the game. Two more free throws by Helms made it a 55-49 game, but Ashville hit a shot in the paint to cut it to a four-point game. A pair of free throws each by Davis and Douglas stretched their lead out to eight at 59-51. An and-one by Ashville made it a five-point game, but Jones hit a pair from the line and Jake Cornelius added one from there as well to help Hanceville get a huge 62-54 region win at home.
Helms led the way for Hanceville (10-8, 1-1) with 21 points. Garrett and Douglas each added eight, while Davis and Jones each finished with seven.
Hanceville will continue region play next Friday night at Etowah.
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