HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Tuesday’s first varsity battle at the county tournament featured a matchup between the third-seeded Fairview Aggies and the sixth seed, Vinemont. Fairview went into the locker room leading the Eagles 33-21 and the Aggies continued to pull away in the second half on their way to a 69-48 win and a spot in the semifinals.
Carson Jones hit a pair of free throws and Jac Dunn knocked down a three from the left corner to give Fairview an early, 5-2 lead but a couple of baskets by Will Conquest on the other end cut the lead to 7-6 midway through the opening period. Tucker Mauter laid one in to give Vinemont an 8-7 lead but baskets by Trace Richardson and Jones put the Aggies back in front 11-8. A.J. Wood drilled a three and Kolt Redding scored inside to stretch the lead to 16-8 but Gavin Parr drained a three of his own to stop the run and cut the lead to 16-11. After Colton Gillis split a pair of free throws, Parr knocked down another three just before the buzzer to make it a 16-15 game at the start of the second quarter.
Cheston Wilhite and exchanged baskets with Dunn to start the second quarter and make it 18-17. Wood laid one in to give Fairview a 20-17 lead and the Aggies put together a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 30-19 later in the period. Blake Rickard drilled a three to make it a 33-19 game, but Conquest came up with one more basket in the final seconds of the half to trim Fairview’s lead to 33-21 at the break.
Jones drove to the basket for two points and the foul to keep the Aggies in front 36-21 early in the third quarter and after baskets by Parr and Bryson Bush on the other end, Calin Collins buried a three from the left wing to maintain a 39-25 advantage for Fairview. Bush and Parr each knocked down three-pointers to cut the lead to 42-31 but back to back buckets from Richardson kept Fairview in front 46-31 later in the period. Just before the buzzer sounded at the end of the third, Zayden Cruce drained a three to give the Aggies a 50-33 lead going into the final frame.
Bush laid one in and Mauter buried a three to trim the lead to 52-38 but Fairview took control in the final few minutes. Baskets by Collins and Cruce helped maintain a 59-40 lead for the Aggies and after Cruce knocked down a three, Germaine Gambrill scored inside to make it a 64-43 game. Redding drained another three to make it 69-45 with less than two minutes to play and Fairview went on to collect a 69-48 win over the Eagles, securing a spot in the varsity boys’ semifinals.
Jones led the Aggies with 16 points in the win, followed by Cruce with 13 and Collins and Dunn each scored eight. Conquest led Vinemont with 12 points in the loss and Parr added 11.
Fairview will advance to face the winner of Good Hope and Cold Springs in the varsity boys’ semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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