HARTSELLE, Ala. – Several local squads made the short trip to Hartselle Tuesday for a day of summer competition on the hardwood and the Good Hope Raiders picked up a pair of wins over West Point and Elkmont to tip off their summer slate.
Good Hope 40 – West Point 38 (Game One)
Behind six quick points from Charlie O’Neil and a stifling defense, Good Hope jumped out to a quick 11-2 lead almost halfway through the first half. A Tyler Cone trey from the right corner made it 14-2. A basket down low by Kanen Trussell helped cut the West Point deficit to 18-8, but O’Neil added a fast-break layup late in the first half as the Raiders pushed the lead back to 12 at 20-8 and that ended up being the score at the half.
An Andrew Lynn trey made it 20-11 as the Warriors looked to make a run in the second half. Each team traded baskets for a few possessions before Aiden Dujoud (three-point play) and Samuel Wheeler (trey) helped cut the Raider lead to six at 27-21 with 10:45 remaining in the game. Five straight points by Tanner and Tucker Malin increased the Good Hope lead back to double-digits at 34-23. Five straight points by Wheeler made it a six-point game. Later on, Kolton Perry and Jayden Laney scored the next seven points to make it a 38-36 game. Each team traded baskets to keep it at a one-possession game, but Good Hope got the rebound off a missed free throw and drained the remaining few seconds off the clock as they wound up taking game one, 40-38.
Tanner Malin led the way for Good Hope with 11 points. O’Neil added eight, while Tucker Malin and Noah Barnette each ended up with seven. For West Point, Wheeler finished with 12 points. Trussell added eight points. Perry ended up with six points and Dujoud finished with five points.
Good Hope 51 – Elkmont 39 (Game Two)
Tanner Malin got Good Hope on the scoreboard less than a minute into the first half with a trey and K’mal Bell hit a short jumper, then Weston Hancock drilled a three to give the Raiders a quick 8-2 lead. After an Elkmont three-point play made it 12-9, Cone and Tanner Malin each hit back-to-back treys pushed the lead back to nine at 18-9. The Red Devils then went on an 8-4 run to make it a 22-17 game, but Tanner Malin hit a layup to put the score at 24-17 at the half.
The Raiders got off to a really bad start defensively in the second half as Elkmont scored nine of the first 11 points in the half and Good Hope found themselves tied with the Red Devils at 26-26. Tanner Malin and Weston Hancock helped break the tie as they started a 12-2 run and the Raiders’ defense gave Elkmont fits as they caused several turnovers during the run. When the run was over, Good Hope held a 40-28 lead and Barnette scored five straight points to help push the Raider lead to 45-32 and they ended up taking game two, 51-39.
Tanner Malin finished with 16 points for Good Hope. Barnette added 11 points, Hancock ended up with nine points and Tyler Cone finished with seven points. Both the Raiders and Warriors will travel to Lipscomb University in Nashville to play in several more play-day games later this week.
Other local scores at Hartselle Tuesday:
Fairview 52 – Vinemont 43 (varsity boys)
West Point 58 – Douglas 38 (varsity girls)
Douglas 73 – Fairview 48 (varsity boys)
Cold Springs 39 – Douglas 28 (varsity girls)
West Point 37 – Falkville 15 (varsity girls)
Douglas 67 – Vinemont 53 (varsity boys)
Copyright 2021 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
