HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Vinemont Eagles traveled to Lane Horton Gymnasium Friday night for a pair of big area games against the Hanceville Bulldogs. Both local squads split their varsity matchups, with the Lady Eagles easily rolling past the Lady Bulldogs 55-21. Four quarters weren’t enough to decide the outcome of the varsity boys’ game but in overtime, Hanceville was able to get past Vinemont in a low-scoring affair, 46-38.
Vinemont 55 – Hanceville 21 (Varsity Girls)
Each team split their respective free throws to get them on the scoreboard, and a pair of baskets down low by Aaliyah Twitty gave Hanceville an early 5-4 lead. Reagan Robinson scored the next four points for Vinemont, as that gave them an 8-5 lead. Later on, a trey from the left wing by Caroline Miller made it 11-7, then the Lady Eagles quickly created some distance from them and the Lady Bulldogs. Robinson put in a driving layup, then Miller got fouled after making the basket and ended up hitting the free throw, and Arleigh Thomason drained a three from the top of the key to stretch their lead to 19-7 late in the first. Mattie Keith stopped the bleeding with a long-range shot, as that cut it to 19-10. A late basket by Brooklyn Yarbrough made it a 21-10 game going into the second.
A pair of free throws by Aaliyah Twitty made it a 21-12 game early in the second quarter, but Thomason buried a long-range shot from the left corner to give Vinemont a 24-12 lead. Miller added a basket down low, and Robinson drained a pair of free throws to help push their lead to 28-12 at the half.
Vinemont’s lead grew wider in the second half. Baskets in the paint by Vayda Yarbrough and Carley Stephens, plus a trey by Miller, made it 36-14. Kynzlee Farr knocked down a trey to cut it to 36-17, but treys by Thomason and Addison Holcomb, plus a pair of baskets by Robinson and Brooklyn Yarbrough, stretched the Lady Eagle lead to 48-17 after three. The fourth quarter was run under a hot clock, as Holcomb put in a pair of baskets in the paint, and Thomason drained her fourth three of the game, as Vinemont would go on to defeat Hanceville 55-21.
Miller finished with 14 points for Vinemont (8-3, 2-1). Thomason added 12 points. Robinson posted 10 points, and Holcomb collected nine points. Aaliyah Twitty finished with eight points to lead Hanceville (4-6, 1-2) in the loss.
Hanceville 46 – Vinemont 38 (OT) (Varsity Boys)
If you came to watch a defensive affair, then this game was the one for you. Peyton Twilley banked in a floater to give Hanceville an early 3-0 lead, but a short jumper by E.J. Sharpe tied the game up at three. Sam Abney’s driving layup broke the tie and gave the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead, but Vinemont went on an 8-0 run. Baskets in the paint by Cheston Wilhite and Bryson Bush, plus a floater by Tucker Mauter, gave them an 11-5 lead. A rebound and putback by Jacob Keith cut it to 11-7, and Vinemont would go into the second quarter up 12-7.
Sharpe collected a steal and a layup, then later drilled a trey, to give the Eagles an 17-11 lead. Gee Flores added a driving layup to make it 19-11 late in the first half, and that’s when Hanceville made their late run to get back in the game. Twilley scored through a foul and drilled the free throw to cut it to 19-14, then Brodie Brenner put in a basket in the paint to make it a 19-16 game. Abney, Twilley, and Drake Bentley each hit free throws to give the Bulldogs a 20-19 lead. Twilley buried a short jumper to make it a 22-19 game at the break.
Wilhite’s floater trimmed it to 22-21 early in the third, but a pair of free throws by Bentley and a driving layup by Twilley made it 26-21. Twilley’s rebound and putback kept it at a four-point lead for Hanceville at 28-24. It was Vinemont’s turn to go on a run of their own, as Mauter put in a floater, Wilhite hit a pair from the line, and Bush and Mauter each hit a basket down low to give them a 32-28 lead. Twilley hit a pair from the line, and Kingsley Brown put in a driving layup to tie the game up at 32 going into the fourth quarter.
Twilley banked in a shot down low to give Hanceville a 34-32 lead, but a floater by Flores tied the game up at 34 with less than four minutes to go in the contest. Neither team broke the tie until Bentley buried a pair from the line to make it 36-34 with 46 seconds remaining. Colton Gillis’ floater tied the game up at 36, and neither team was able to break the tie in regulation. The game was going to be decided in overtime.
Flores put in a basket down low to make it a 38-36 lead for the Eagles. Twilley split his free throws, then after the Bulldogs got a big offensive rebound, he drilled a big trey from the top of the key to give them a 40-38 lead. Bentley picked the perfect time to get his first basket of the game, as his rebound and put-back made it 43-38. Twilley hit a free throw, and Dalton Pirkle drilled a pair from the line to help seal the 46-38 win for Hanceville.
Twilley led the way for Hanceville (5-7, 2-1) with 25 points, and Bentley put in seven points. For Vinemont (3-9, 0-3), Wilhite, Sharpe, and Bush each finished with seven points, while Mauter and Flores each collected six points.
Hanceville will travel to take on Oak Grove and Vinemont will head to Cold Springs Monday night.
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