HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Saturday’s nightcap from the opening day of the Cullman County Basketball Tournament featured a battle between Good Hope and Hanceville’s JV Boys squads and like most of the games on day one, it came down to the final shot. Both teams traded leads throughout the game but in the end, it was the Raiders that were able to get the final basket and secure a 49-46 win over the Bulldogs.
A three-pointer by Owen Armstrong gave the Raiders an early, 3-0 start over the Bulldogs and Good Hope maintained a 7-4 lead midway through the opening period. Ayden Black converted an and-one play to make it a 10-4 game and a basket from Dalton Patrick gave the Raiders a 12-5 lead at one point but a three from Hunter Black and a bucket by Drake Bentley cut the lead to 12-10 going into the second quarter.
Another three-pointer by Black gave Hanceville a 13-12 lead at the start of the second and Peyton Twilley laid one in to make it 15-12. Black’s third three-pointer of the half stretched the lead to 18-12 but Callahan Lindsey responded for Good Hope on the other end. Lindsey scored the next nine points of the game to retake a 21-18 lead for the Raiders but Black’s fourth three stopped the run and tied things up at 21 with two minutes remaining in the second. Hank Hudson scored to put Good Hope in front 23-21 but Bentley got one more shot to fall for Hanceville at the buzzer to keep the score knotted at 23 going into halftime.
The game stayed tied at 25 early in the third until another basket by Lindsey and a pair of free throws from Armstrong put the Raiders ahead 29-25. A three-pointer from Armstrong made it a 32-25 game but Twilley split a pair of free throws and Bentley buried back to back three-pointers to cut the lead to 34-32 going into the final frame.
Much of the fourth quarter was spent at the free throw line. Twilley split a pair from the line to trim the lead to 39-38 with four minutes to play and he laid one in later in the fourth to give the Bulldogs a 42-40 lead. Lindsey scored on the other end to tie things up at 42 with two minutes remaining but free throws by Bentley and Twilley allowed Hanceville to move back in front 45-42 with just over a minute to play. However, Tyler Byrd answered with a massive three-pointer on the other end to tie the score at 45 and on the inbound pass, Lindsey stole the ball and laid it in to give Good Hope a 47-45 lead with 48 seconds on the clock. Twilley sank a free throw on the other end to make it a 1-point game and they Bulldogs got a stop on the ensuing Raider possession but Hudson took a steal the other way for an easy basket to put Good Hope on top 49-46 with seven seconds remaining. Hanceville’s final shot attempt was no good and the Raiders held on to win it over the Bulldogs 49-46.
Lindsey led Good Hope with 21 points in the win, followed by Armstrong with eight and Byrd and Hudson with six. Bentley led Hanceville with 13 points in the loss.
Good Hope will advance to take on West Point in the JV Boys semifinals Tuesday at 5 p.m.
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