HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Good Hope Raiders and Hanceville Bulldogs met in Monday night’s second JV Boys County tournament matchup and the Raiders were dominant from start to finish. Good Hope built a 34-19 lead in the first half and continued to add to its lead in the second half until the Raiders punched their ticket to Friday night’s semifinals with a 66-25 win.
The Raiders jumped out to a big lead in the opening period to seize the momentum early. Ayden Black scored a basket and hit a pair of free throws to give Good Hope a 4-0 start and Kyle McSwain drilled a three to stretch the lead to 7-0. Tucker Keef scored inside to make it a 9-0 game before Zavier Malcom got Hanceville on the board with a pair of free throws. Baskets from Dalton Patrick and Black gave the Raiders a 13-2 advantage midway through the first quarter. Owen Armstrong split a pair of free throws to make it 14-2 and Black scored inside to extend the lead to 16-2. A pair of Javus Leusby baskets trimmed the lead to 20-6 later in the period but the Bulldogs still trailed 20-6 at the end of the first.
Another three from McSwain and a basket from Armstrong made it a 25-6 game at the start of the second quarter and Waylon Smith laid one in midway through the period to help keep Good Hope in front 29-10. Gabe Ognilla exchanged baskets with Black later in the second to make it a 32-12 game and Smith scored inside to stretch the lead to 34-12. Black drained a three and Keef scored off a turnover in the final minute of the half to give the Raiders a commanding, 39-14 lead at the break.
Good Hope continued to pour it on in the third. Three-pointers by Black and McSwain helped build the lead up to 46-16 and Keef followed them with a three of his own to make it 49-16. Black’s third three-pointer of the night put the Raiders in front 52-19 and Ayden Young scored the next five points for Good Hope to stretch the lead to 57-19. Cayden Adamson added a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the third and the Raiders went into the fourth leading 59-21.
Young buried a three to make it a 62-21 game at the start of the fourth quarter and his next bucket extended the lead to 64-23. Both teams added one more basket before the end of the game and the Raiders advanced to the JV Boys semifinals with an impressive, 66-25 win over Hanceville.
Black led Good Hope with 21 points in the win, followed by Young with 13. Ognilla led the Bullodgs with seven points in the loss.
The Raiders will be back in action Friday night to face either West Point or Holly Pond in the JV Boys semifinals.
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