CULLMAN, Ala. – After the Lady Bearcats edged Hartselle in a double overtime thriller on the road last week and the Bearcats lost a tough one to the Tigers late, Cullman returned home Tuesday to host an areas showdown against Decatur. The Lady Bearcats got things started by blowing past Decatur 61-24 and the Bearcats maintained control from wire to wire in their 69-50 win over the Red Raiders. Cullman will be on the road Thursday night to take on Arab.
Cullman 61 – Decatur 24 (varsity girls)
The Lady Bearcats got off to a quick, 4-0 start in the opening period and a bucket from Reagan Quattlebaum made it a 6-2 game at the six-minute mark of the first. Five straight points from Jaden Winfrey stretched the early lead to 12-2 midway through the quarter and a three-pointer from Quattlebaum made it 16-4 with just over two minutes to play in the period. AK Eastman knocked down a pair of free throws with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter to give Cullman a 21-4 advantage going into the second.
Eastman stayed hot in the second quarter, scoring the first seven points of the period for the Lady Bearcats to give them a 30-9 lead with under five minutes to play in the opening half. Winfrey netted a couple free throws late in the second to make it a 36-12 game and Cullman went into the locker room with a daunting, 39-17 lead at the break.
An Alexandria Barker basket stretched the lead to 41-17 at the start of the third quarter and buckets from Quattlebaum and Eastman made it a 49-17 game at the five-minute mark. Ava McSwain scored off a steal late in the third to add to the Cullman lead and another triple from Quattlebaum gave the Lady Bearcats a 57-22 lead going into the final frame.
A three from Eastman made it 60-22 early in the fourth and with the clock running, Cullman pulled away to win it easily, 61-24.
Eastman led the Lady Bearcats with 19 points in the win. Winfrey and Quattlebaum each posted 12, Barker finished with six and Hannah Hoffman and Sidney Smith both added three.
Cullman 69 – Decatur 50 (varsity boys)
Noah Bussman’s first three-pointer of the night gave Cullman an early, 5-2 lead over Decatur and a spinning layup from Jayden Sullins made it 9-2 later in the opening quarter. A bucket from Max Gambrill made it an 11-4 game midway through the first and the Bearcats maintained a 15-9 advantage with two minutes to play in the period. A Bussman three gave Cullman an 18-11 lead with a minute to play in the quarter and the ‘Cats went into the second holding onto a 7-point lead.
Max Gambrill drilled a three of his own to stretch the lead to 23-13 early in the second quarter and Bussman added another one from behind the line to make it 28-15 Bearcats with five minutes remaining in the half. Jace Goolsby layed one in to give Cullman a 34-19 advantage with two minutes to play in the second and the ‘Cats went into the locker room at halftime with a 36-24 lead over the Red Raiders.
Tucker Gambrill started the second half with a three-pointer to extend the Cullman lead to 39-26 and midway through the third quarter, Another Sullins basket followed by Bussman’s fourth triple of the game made it a 48-34 game. Bussman then added his fifth three-pointer of the night to add to the Cullman lead and a Sullins layup in the final seconds of the period gave the ‘Cats a 53-38 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Bussman drilled back to back three-point shots to open the fourth quarter for Cullman, bringing his total on the night to seven and stretching the lead to 59-41. Four straight points from Nic Glass gave the Bearcats a 19-point lead with just over a minute to play and Decatur couldn’t continue to chip away. The ‘Cats held on to collect the area win over the Red Raiders 69-50.
Bussman led Cullman with 23 points in the win, 21 of which came on seven made three-pointers. Sullins and Max Gambrill each finished with 13 for the Bearcats, Tucker Gambrill added five and Kaleb Heatherly posted four.
Other Tuesday scores:
West Point 62 – Lawrence County 46 (varsity girls)
West Point 92 – Lawrence County 90 (varsity boys)
Hanceville 58 – Vinemont 22 (varsity girls)
Hanceville 78 – Vinemont 67 (varsity boys)
Cold Springs 61 – Phillips 48 (varsity girls)
Cold Springs 76 – Phillips 56 (varsity boys)
Fairview 57 – Good Hope 54 (OT) (varsity girls)
Good Hope 71 – Fairview 62 (varsity boys)
St. Bernard 48 – Lynn 33 (varsity girls)
Lynn 44 – St. Bernard 34 (varsity boys)
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