VINEMONT – West Point coach Randy Jones made defensive adjustments at halftime that worked in neutralizing Vinemont's offense, allowing the Warriors to pull away from the Eagles 64-36 in their season opener Thursday night.
Vinemont went on an 11-4 run late in the second quarter and closed the halftime deficit to 34-25.
The Warriors shut down the dribble penetration of Vinemont guard Garrett Boland in the third period, holding him without a field goal after he scored five in the first half.
A 19-3 run by the Warriors allowed them to get control of the game, leading 53-28 with one quarter to get done and head home with a 28-point triumph.
"We were happy to win after getting just three days to practice together," Jones said. "We talked about defense at halftime and went out there and did a better job."
Defense was the story for the Warriors in the second half. The opening half was a 3-point parade that created breathing room as the Eagles kept it close with West Point through the first period.
West Point led 18-12 after the first and 34-25 at the break by scoring five 3-point field goals in a 25-5 run after they were just ahead 10-7. Cameron Moore scored the first trey for the Warriors and produced two more in the second period with the visitors moving the lead to 30-14 and leaving Vinemont coach Todd Johnson wanting a timeout.
Supporting the threes from Moore was Toby Cunningham, who nailed a couple of his own.
Then Vinemont was able to knock down three treys themselves, one by Boland, one from Corbin Bennett and one by Dustin Ford to get the deficit narrowed back to single digits as time ran out in the half.
In the third period, with the defense holding the Eagles to one made field goal, the Warriors had eight to score in the stanza, displaying a balanced effort, and the game was well in hand for West Point with a lead of 53-28.
Brandon Farley produced a pair of driving shots in the fourth, joining Moore as a double-digit scorer on opening night. Moore had 11 with three treys and a deuce while Farley popped in five shots and scored 10 points.
Cunningham delivered nine to the total, Dante' Callahan had eight, Austin Dubberly seven, Alex Hernandez six, Kolton Sapp seven, Michael Keller three and Dave Doss two.
Boland led the Eagles with 17 on seven field goals, one trey and two from the line. The Eagles fell to 0-3 after losing two close games earlier in the week in their Tip-Off Tournament.
Bennett finished with seven, Ford had six, Seth Campbell and Nate England added three.
The Warriors will go to Holly Pond Tuesday for their next assignment while Vinemont is on the road for the first time the same evening with a trip to Cold Springs.
West Point 72, Vinemont 17 (girls):
Coach John Welborn shuffled his starting lineup for the Lady Warriors’ opener, and replacing them five at one time, using a rotating system that kept the Lady Eagles unable to slow down his ball club after they held a 14-2 lead in the first quarter.
West Point led 36-8 at halftime and 59-9 following the third period, outscoring the Lady Eagles 45-7. The fourth period was played under a running clock, a rule in its third year in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) when a team has a 30-point lead any time in the final period of play.
Alexia Shaddix anchored a balanced attack for the Lady Warriors with 18 points, scoring 11 in the first half. Miriam Oldacre and Brooke Brownfield tossed in 10, Olivia Ball scored eight, Madison Roberts six, Micah Oldacre, Jessica King and Mackenzie Carter four, Bailee Yearwood and Lillie Burdette three each.
Freshman Sadie Stanley topped the Vinemont scorers with eight, Andrea Dierment netted four, Leigh Ann Smithson three and Sarah Smith finished with two.
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