HANCEVILLE, Ala. – In our final Friday matchup at the county tournament, (2) Good Hope battled (3) Fairview with a spot in the county championship game on the line and the Raiders led wire to wire on their way to 78-52 win over the Aggies.
Tucker Malin got the scoring started for Good Hope with a three from the top of the key, then Tucker Screws scored down low to give them an early 5-0 lead. Jac Dunn nailed a three for Fairview to cut it to 5-3. Jacob Haynes knocked down a pair from the line, then Tyler Cone and Gavin Pace each nailed a three to stretch the Raider lead to 13-5 with 3:32 remaining in the first. Trace Richardson scored on the other end to make it a 13-7 game, but that’s when Good Hope started to stretch their lead out even more. Malin collected a steal and laid it in, then he later added a three to stretch their lead to 18-7. Cone got the steal and dunked it on the other end, then Malin knocked down a three and Cone collected another steal and a basket on the other end to give the Raiders a 25-10 lead at the start of the second.
Pace nailed a three-pointer to make it a 28-10 game early in the second. The Aggies started to cut into Good Hope’s lead. Richardson and Carson Jones each put in a basket in the paint to make it a 28-14 game, then after baskets by Pace and Malin, Landun Smith scored nine straight points for Fairview to cut it to 34-23. Dunn added a trey from the left corner to trim it to eight at 34-26. Cone stopped the bleeding with a floater, then Pace added a free throw to put the Raiders ahead, 37-26. A pair of Malin free throws kept Good Hope’s lead at 11 at 39-28 going into the locker room.
A.J. Wood nailed a three to trim it to eight at 39-31. Cone scored five straight points to give the Raiders a 44-31 lead. Calin Collins put in a pair of baskets to make it a 44-35 game. Cone buried a trey from the top of the key, then Pace added two of his own from long-range to stretch Good Hope’s lead to 53-37 almost midway through the third quarter. Pace laid it in, then Malin and Jacob Haynes each knocked down a pair of free throws to put them ahead, 59-39. Kye McSwain and Owen Armstrong each nailed a trey to end the third quarter, and Good Hope would take a commanding 65-39 lead into the final quarter.
Baskets by Richardson and Zayden Cruce made it a 65-43 game early in the fourth. Malin dropped in a floater, then later, Dalton Patrick nailed a trey and Malin added a basket down low to give the Raiders a 72-45 lead. A rebound and putback by Cone, plus a trey by Armstrong, helped seal the 78-52 win for Good Hope.
Malin led the Raiders with 22 points in the win and Pace and Cone each finished with 17. Jones and Smith each posted 11 points for Fairview in the loss and Dunn added nine.
Good Hope will face (4) Holly Pond in the varsity boys’ championship game Saturday at 7 p.m.
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