HOLLY POND, Ala. – The Holly Pond Broncos and Hanceville Bulldogs squared off for the second time this season and just like last time, both Holly Pond squads came away with a pair of wins. A huge second half by the Lady Broncos helped propel them to a 61-28 win over the Lady Bulldogs while the Broncos capped off the night with a 65-52 win over the Bulldogs.
Holly Pond 61, Hanceville 28 (Varsity Girls)
Holly Pond got off to a quick start to the game as Alana Phillips knocked down a pair of baskets down low, Kamryn Tankersley drilled a three, and Madison Butts hit a layup to give the Lady Broncos a 9-0 lead. Hanceville got on the scoreboard on a Katelyn Boyd made shot with 2:45 left to go in the first quarter. A free throw each by Maggie Nail and Samantha Giles gave Holly Pond an 11-3 lead going into the second period.
Aaliyah Twitty knocked down a shot down low to cut it to 11-5 early in the second period, but Tankersley hit a layup and then knocked down a three to push the Lady Bronco lead to 16-6. Savana McAnnally hit a floater to make it a 16-8 game, but baskets by Phillips, Butts, and Emma Earl increased Holly Pond’s lead to 22-8. McAnnally hit another floater and Boyd added a layup to make it a 25-13 game late in the second quarter. McAnnally added another basket down low, and Boyd hit a free throw to make it a 26-16 game at the half.
Holly Pond quickly pulled away from Hanceville to start out the second half. Earl hit a layup, then Butts drilled a trey from the top of the key to push their lead to 31-16. Butts added three more baskets, Maddi Ham hit a three, and Tankersley and Earl each added a basket as well. The Lady Broncos outscored the Lady Bulldogs, 21-7, in the third quarter to take a 47-23 lead into the fourth quarter. The lead reached 30 at one point during the fourth period as Holly Pond ended up rolling past Hanceville, 61-28.
Butts finished with 17 points for Holly Pond (7-8). Tankersley added 12 points. Earl ended up with nine points, while Phillips and Ham each added six points. For Hanceville, McAnnally led the way with 10 points, while Aaliyah Twitty added six points.
Holly Pond 65 – Hanceville 52 (Varsity Boys)
Both teams traded baskets to start out the game. A Blake Rickard trey broke an early tie and gave the Broncos a 7-4 lead. A Zach Campbell jumper made it 7-6. After an A.J. Wood layup made it 9-8, Sawyer Olinger hit a layup, then Gunnar McBee got fouled and made the shot. He completed the and-one opportunity to give the Broncos a 14-8 lead. A basket each by Christian Couch and Kollin Brown made it 18-10. A Noah Jones free throw cut it to 18-11, but Olinger drilled a trey before the buzzer sounded to give Holly Pond a 21-11 lead going into the second period.
A rebound and put-back by Will Calvert cut it to 21-13 early in the second quarter and the three-ball helped the Bulldogs get back in the game. Calvert knocked down a three from the left corner, then Brayden Harris hit one of his own from the right corner to make it a 23-19 game. A pair of Levi Farr free throws made it 25-19, but a Noah Douglas trey from the right corner made it a three-point game with a little over four minutes to go in the first half. It was all Holly Pond to end the first half as Brown and Rickard scored the final eight points for the Broncos as they took a 33-22 lead into the locker room.
Baskets by Rickard and Farr pushed the Bronco lead to 37-24 early in the third quarter, but a Harris trey cut it to 37-27. Calvert knocked down a basket to make it 37-29, but Farr and Rickard each hit a basket to make it 41-31 with 2:40 left to go in the third period. Braxton Broad knocked down a jumper, then Wood added a pair of free throws to cut it to 41-33. Holly Pond quickly pushed their lead to double-digits as Rickard hit a shot down low, then Brown went off, scoring the next eight points, including the old-fashioned three-point play, to make it a 51-35 game. Campbell converted on one of his own to cut it to 51-38 going into the final period.
Couch hit a pair of baskets and Brown added one of his own to push the Bronco lead to 57-38 to start out the final quarter. Harris knocked down a floater and later hit three free throws to make it a 59-44 game with 4:43 left to go in the contest. Campbell and Harris each hit a basket to cut it to 60-48 with less than four minutes to go in the game, but the Broncos wouldn’t let them get any closer after that as free throws by Rickard and McBee helped them seal the 65-52 home win.
Brown and Rickard each finished with 17 points for Holly Pond (12-2). Farr added 12 points, while McBee ended up with nine points. For Hanceville (12-3), Harris led the way with 17 points. Campbell added 15 points and Calvert ended up with eight points.
Holly Pond will participate in the West Point Christmas Tournament, starting on Dec. 27 and the Bulldogs will participate in a tournament of their own at West Morgan on Dec. 27 and 29. Hanceville’s next regular season games will be played on Jan. 3 when they travel to take on Ashville. Holly Pond’s next regular season matchup will also be on Jan. 3 against West Point.
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