HANCEVILLE, Ala. – A varsity boys’ matchup between the Holly Pond Broncos and Hanceville Bulldogs capped Tuesday night’s county tournament action and four quarters weren’t enough for these two squads to settle things. The score was knotted at 17 at halftime and after the Bulldogs pulled ahead late in the fourth quarter, The Broncos rallied to tie the game at 51 and send us to overtime. Hanceville was able to keep the game tied early in the overtime period but eventually the Broncos managed to take a lead and create some separation, holding up on the defensive end in the final seconds to secure a 62-59 win over the Bulldogs.
A three-pointer from JT Davis and a mid-range jumper from Noah Jones gave the Bulldogs an early, 5-0 lead over Holly Pond and Jones later sank a pair of free throws to make it a 7-0 game. Kollin Brown split a pair of free throws and Boston Gibbs knocked down a couple from the line to trim the lead to 7-3. Two more free throws from Brown and Gibbs made it a 7-5 game midway through the first but Jake Cornelius knocked down a free throw and Peyton Twilley laid one in to keep Hanceville ahead 10-5. Brown hit a pair of free throws to bring the lead down to 10-7 and after Noah Douglas split a pair from the line to make it 11-7, Brown hit three of his next four from the charity stripe to cut the lead to 11-10. The Broncos made their move after that, taking a 14-11 lead into the second quarter after two baskets from Cade Allbright in the final 30 seconds of the first.
Gibbs netted a free throw to add to the lead early in the second but a Braxton Broad basket on the other trimmed Holly Pond’s lead to 15-13. Allbright scored inside to keep the Broncos in front 17-13 midway through the second quarter, but Konnor Helms sank a pair of free throws and Broad turned a steal into an easy basket just before the end of the period to tie things up at 17 at the halftime break.
Helms took a steal the other way for an easy basket to give Hanceville a 19-17 lead at the start of the third and Davis added a free throw to make it 20-17. Jones buried a three to put the Bulldogs on top 23-17 and after a pair of Gibbs free throws on the other end, Cornelius scored off a turnover to keep Hanceville in front 25-19. Twilley scored inside to give the Bulldogs a 27-21 lead later in the period and he knocked down a three on Hanceville’s next possession to make it a 30-23 game. Drake Bentley hit a pair of free throws to make it 32-23 but Brown netted his next four attempts from the line to trim the lead to 32-27. Cornelius added a free throw on the other end to build the lead back up to six and Bentley laid one in just before the buzzer to put Hanceville in front 35-27 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Twilley nailed a three to give the Bulldogs a 38-27 lead and Davis scored off a turnover to make it a 40-29 game but baskets from Brown and Carson Ryan cut the lead to 40-33 with four minutes to play. Brown scored through a foul and tacked on the free throw to make it a 4-point game, but Helms answered with his own and-one play on the other end to keep Hanceville ahead 43-36. Brown hit two more free throws for Holly Pond and Noah Douglas laid one in for the Bulldogs to make it a 45-38 game. Helms exchanged baskets with Sawyer Olinger to make it 47-41 with less than two minutes on the clock. Another basket from Helms and a pair of free throws from Davis gave Hanceville a 51-43 lead with just over a minute to play but a three-pointer by Ryan and a free throw from Allbright cut the lead to 51-47. Olinger laid one in with 23 seconds remaining to make it a 2-point game but after a technical foul was called on Hanceville, Brown stepped up and knocked down both foul shots to tie the game at 51 with seven seconds on the clock and send us to overtime.
Brown and Helms exchanged baskets to keep the score tied at 53 early in the overtime period. Brown then sank three of his next four free throw attempts to give the Broncos a 56-53 lead and after a score by Bentley on the other end, Brown buried a three from the left wing to put Holly Pond on top 61-55. Helms hit four of his next five free throw attempts to bring the lead to down 61-59 with just over 30 seconds remaining but Olinger tacked on one more free throw to make it 62-59 and the Broncos held on the defensive end to secure a hard-fought, dramatic 62-59 win over Hanceville.
Brown led all scorers with 35 points in the win and Gibbs finished with 12. Helms led the way for Hanceville with 16 points in the loss.
Holly Pond will be back in action Friday night at 7:30 to take on either West Point or Cold Springs in the varsity boys’ semifinals.
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