HANCEVILLE, Ala. — The Hanceville Bulldogs traveled to Vinemont to take on the Eagles in a pair of big area games Thursday night and they split their varsity matchups. In the girls’ game, a huge second half from the Lady Eagles helped them pull away from the Lady Bulldogs 74-36. In the boys’ game, Hanceville took a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter and held off a late rally from Vinemont to win it 57-55.
Vinemont 74 – Hanceville 36 (Varsity Girls)
Morgan Flanagan and Addison Holcomb each put in a layup to give Vinemont an early 4-1 lead. Reagan Robinson drove to the basket and laid it up and in, then she later added a pair of free throws to make it an 8-3 game more than midway through the opening period. Caroline Miller drained a three from the right wing to push their lead to 11-3, but Alex Twitty scored on a pair of baskets in the paint to cut it to 11-7 late in the first quarter. Alex Twitty’s three from the right corner made it a 13-10 game going into the second.
Mattie Keith buried a long-range shot to tie it up at 13 early in the second quarter, and Aaliyah Twitty split her free throws to give the Lady Bulldogs a 14-13 lead. After a basket in the paint by Alex Twitty tied the game up at 16, a rebound and putback by Robinson and a basket by Vayda Yarbrough gave the Lady Eagles a 20-16 lead. Later in the second, Miller drilled a three from the left corner, then Flanagan added a basket down low to widen their lead to 26-18. A pair of baskets by Aaliyah Twitty and one by Alex Twitty cut it to 27-24, but Robinson put in a driving layup to make it a 30-24 game at the half.
It didn’t take long for Vinemont to take over the game. Flanagan put in a three from the left corner, then a driving layup by Robinson gave the Lady Eagles a 35-26 lead. Flanagan scored through a foul and ended up hitting the free throw to stretch their lead to 38-26. A rebound and putback by Alex Twitty made it a 38-28 game, but Carley Stephens scored three straight baskets down low, as their lead quickly swelled to 16 at 44-28. Later in the third, Vayda Yarbrough drained a three, and Robinson scored through a foul and ended up hitting the free throw, then Miller drilled a long-range shot of her own to give Vinemont a commanding 60-31 lead going into the final period.
Brooklyn Yarbrough scored on a pair of baskets down low, Robinson added one of her own in the paint, Miller added another three, and another basket in the paint by Brooklyn Yarbrough helped put the finishing touches on a 74-36 region win for the Lady Eagles.
Robinson led the way for Vinemont (14-4, 5-1) with 19 points. Miller added 14 points. Flanagan wasn’t too far behind with 12 points, and Stephens collected eight points. For Hanceville (7-11, 1-5), Alex Twitty finished with 18 points, and Aaliyah Twitty posted 11 points.
Hanceville 57 – Vinemont 55 (Varsity Boys)
Gee Flores put in a pair of baskets down low to give Vinemont an early 4-2 lead. Peyton Twilley drained a three from the top of the key and later added a floater to give Hanceville a 7-5 lead. Sam Abney buried a long-range shot from the right wing to push their lead to 10-5, but Flores added another basket in the paint to cut it to 10-7. A pair of Drake Bentley, a hard-fought rebound and putback by Kingsley Brown, and a basket down low by Twilley stretched the Bulldog lead to 16-7 late in the first. Colton Gillis banked in a floater, then Cheston Wilhite put in a long-range shot to cut it to 16-12. A steal and a floater by Abney made it a 20-12 game, but Gavin Parr picked the perfect time to make his first basket of the game, as his half-court shot to beat the buzzer trimmed it to a five-point game at 20-15 going into the second.
Bentley put in a pair of quick baskets, and Twilley scored off a Vinemont turnover to push their lead to double digits at 26-15. Bentley added two more baskets in the paint late in the second quarter to make it a 30-18 game. Bryson Bush’s rebound and putback made it a 30-20 game, and he later added a free throw to cut it to 30-21 going into the locker room.
Flores buried a three from the left wing to make it a 30-24 game early in the third. Bentley added another basket down low and later knocked down a short jumper to give Hanceville a 34-26 lead. Bush knocked down a three to cut it to 36-29, but Brodie Brenner collected a steal and laid it in to increase their lead to 39-29. A late basket by Bush made it a 42-34 game, but Bentley continued to dominate in the paint, as he added two more baskets down low to stretch the Bulldog lead to 46-34. Hanceville would take a 48-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
That’s when the Eagles made a huge run to get back in the game. Bush put in a basket down low, then Tucker Mauter buried a three, and Wilhite added a basket in the paint to trim their deficit to five at 50-45. A layup by Bentley made it a 53-45 game, but a rebound and putback by Wilhite cut it to 53-47. Will Conquest and Gillis each got fouled after making their respective baskets, and they both ended up hitting their free throws, as it was a 55-53 game with 44 seconds left to go in the game. Mauter collected a steal and put in a basket in the paint to tie the game up at 55. Bentley and Dalton Pirkle each split from the line to give the Bulldogs a 57-55 lead. Vinemont’s last chance to win the game fell just short and Hanceville hung on to defeat the Eagles 57-55.
Bentley led the way for Hanceville (7-12, 3-3) with 24 points. Twilley added 15 points, and Abney posted 10 points. For Vinemont (5-12, 0-6), Bush finished with 18 points. Flores ended up with nine points. Mauter collected eight points, and Wilhite added seven points.
Hanceville will travel to Locust Fork, and Vinemont will head to Holly Pond next Tuesday.
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