HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Bulldogs guard Tyson Bellmon put on a show for the crowd at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum Saturday afternoon, knocking down five three-pointers in the second quarter alone and a total of nine for the game in a 79-69 loss to Linday Lane. Hanceville was facing the Lions in this year’s Wallace State New Year’s Bash and were forced to deal with the AHSAA’s all-time leading scorer, Tommy Murr. Murr has over 5,000 points in his high school career but was outdueled by Bellmon who led all scorers with 31 points.
Lindsay Lane jumped out to a 6-2 lead early in the game but a basket underneath from Cainon Moore and a quick steal on the ensuing inbound pass by Izayah Glenon led to Bellmon’s first triple of the game and gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead. The Lions pulled back ahead 10-9 with three minutes to play in the opening quarter and a steal and layup by Bellmon at the buzzer kept the Lindsay Lane lead at one at the start of the second.
The second quarter was dominated by Bellmon. After both teams traded baskets early, Bellmon drilled back to back three-pointers to put Hanceville up 23-19. Bellmon’s third and fourth consecutive triples kept the Bulldogs in front 31-27 and his fifth three-pointer of the quarter made it 34-32 with under three minutes to play in the half. Moore scored inside to keep Hanceville up by one late in the period and another Bellmon bucket at the buzzer gave the Bulldogs a 40-39 lead at the break. Bellmon hit six threes and scored 22 in the first half.
Brodie Malcom converted an and-one play at the line to stretch the lead to 43-39 at the start of the third and Bellmon added two more shots from beyond the arc to make it a 49-43 game with six minutes to play in the third. After the Lions trimmed the lead to two, Bellmon’s ninth triple of the game extended the lead to 52-47 midway through the quarter. Lindsay Lane managed to tie the game at 52 but Murr fouled out shortly after that, taking the state’s leading scorer off the floor for the Lions. At nearly the same point in the game, Bellmon was forced to exit with cramps and the matchup’s leading scorers were done for the day. Bellmon reentered the game early in the fourth but wasn’t able to stay for long.
A three-pointer from Matthew Cornelius gave Hanceville a 57-56 lead late in the third quarter and that score held by the start of the fourth. Lindsay Lane pulled ahead 62-58 early in the final period but back to back buckets from Cornelius tied the game at 66 with just over five minutes to play. A three from the Lions made it 69-99 and Lindsay Lane was able to win it at the free throw line the rest of the way. Hanceville shot just four of nine from the free throw line in the final frame and the Lions managed to build a 10-point lead with just under two minutes remaining in the game. After several Bulldogs fouled out, they were forced to play the final minute with four players on the court and Lindsay Lane held on to win it 79-69.
Bellmon led all scorers with 31 points in the loss. Moore scored 16 for Hanceville, Malcom and Cornelius finished with nine and Glenon and Ben Johnson each added two. The Bulldogs will return home Monday to host the Cold Springs Eagles.
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