GOOD HOPE, Ala. – Area tournament action resumed across the state Tuesday night and a pair of local squads clashed in this year’s Class 4A, Area 11 bracket. The Hanceville Bulldogs made the quick trip over to Good Hope High School for the opening round of area tournament play and after jumping out to a big lead in the first half, the Raiders pulled away to defeat Hanceville 76-38 and secure a spot in Friday night’s area tournament finals. The win not only secures a spot in the area championship game and the sub-regional round for the Raiders, but it was also Head Coach Drew Adams’ 100th win in his tenure at Good Hope.
Good Hope got the game started with a Lawton Farr steal that quickly became a Tanner Malin layup and after a free throw from Noah Barnette, another Malin basket gave the Raiders an early, 5-2 lead. Zach Campbell laid one in for the Bulldogs to cut into the lead but a three-pointer by Farr on the other end kept built the lead back to 11-4 with three minutes to play in the first. Malin scored a transition basket and K’mal Bell laid one in as well to stretch the lead to 13-4 later in the period. Malin collected another steal and Barnette laid it in to make it 16-4 and Malin buried a three with just over a minute remaining in the first to make it a 19-4 game. Campbell managed to get to the basket and score again in the final minute of the quarter, but the Bulldogs went into the second trailing Good Hope 19-6.
Bell and Carson Garrett traded baskets to make it 21-8 at the start of the second quarter and another score by Bell put the Raiders in front 23-8. Campbell banked in a three on the other end for Hanceville to trim the lead to 12 but Colton Lindsey responded later in the period with a three of his own to extend the lead to 28-11. Charlie O’Neil knocked down a three-pointer to make it a 20-point game midway through the second and after Garrett and Eli Pugh traded scores, it was 33-13 with three minutes remaining in the half. Malin laid one it to give Good Hope a 35-13 advantage and Farr drilled a three-pointer to make it 38-15 later in the period. Barnette got an acrobatic layup to drop through the net in the final minute of the quarter and the Raiders went into the locker room leading Hanceville 40-15.
Campbell and Lindsey traded baskets to start the second half and after Farr and Izayah Glenon each scored on the ensuing possessions it was a 44-19 game. Farr scored another basket inside to put Good Hope in front 46-19 early in the third and Barnette buried a three to stretch the lead to 51-19 midway through the period and Farr converted an and-one play at the line to stretch the lead to 35. Back to back Campbell buckets on the other end cut the lead to 54-23 but Lindsey responded with a pair of scores for the Raiders to give them a 58-23 lead with two minutes to play in the quarter. Barnette laid one in late in the period to make it 60-23 and we went to the final frame with Good Hope on top 60-25.
Tristan Herrera knocked down a jumper to start the fourth quarter and Izayah Glenon scored a pair of baskets early in the period, but the Raiders continued to come up with answers on the other end. Bell drilled another corner three to make it a 65-29 game and Good Hope’s younger group finished things off. Tyler Cone and Konner Stevens each scored to extend the lead to 73-36 late in the game and Tucker Malin drained a corner three just before the buzzer to give the Raiders an impressive, 76-38 win on their home floor.
Good Hope used a very balanced scoring attack in its win over Hanceville. Farr led the Raiders with 13 points, followed by Malin with 12, Lindsey with 11, Barnette with 10, Bell with nine, O’Neil with seven and Pugh with six. Campbell led the way for the Bulldogs with 18 points in the loss. Glenon added 10 and Garrett posted six.
Good Hope will be back home Friday night to play for the area tournament championship against either Oneonta or Curry.
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