HOLLY POND, Ala. — The Holly Pond Broncos hosted the Falkville Blue Devils in a pair of region games Tuesday night and Holly Pond ended up splitting its games with Falkville. The Lady Broncos got off to a fast start and all, but one player found the scoring column en route to a 67-22 win over the Lady Blue Devils, while in the varsity boys’ game, Holly Pond lost a heartbreaker to Falkville in the end 58-53.
Holly Pond 67 – Falkville 22 (Varsity Girls)
Holly Pond got off to a fast start to the game. Ava Thomas knocked down a floater to put the Lady Broncos on the scoreboard first, and that was later followed by layups by Maggie Nail and Maddie Butts, as that gave them a quick 6-0 lead with a little over two minutes gone in the game. Nail nailed a trey, then Thomas and Alana Phillips each added a basket in the paint to push the Holly Pond lead to 13-0. Falkville got on the scoreboard with a little over a minute to go in the opening period, and then later converted their and-one opportunity to cut it to 15-5 going into the second quarter.
Thomas put in another layup to start the second for Holly Pond, then Emma Earl and Kamryn Tankersley each drilled a three to give them a 23-5 lead. The Lady Broncos kept adding onto their lead as Tankersley hit a layup off a Falkville turnover, then a pair of Thomas free throws, a layup by Nail, and a free throw by Ellie Burks pushed their lead to 30-5. Holly Pond would end up taking a 30-11 lead into the locker room.
Earl and Tankersley each hit a quick three to start the third period to give the Lady Broncos a 36-11 lead. Layups by Burks and Nail, plus an and-one by Burks, increased Holly Pond’s lead to 50-13, and the Lady Broncos took a commanding 54-16 lead into the final period. The fourth quarter was run under a hot clock, and Holly Pond ended up getting a 67-22 region win over Falkville.
Nail led the way for Holly Pond with 17 points. Thomas ended up with 14 points. Tankersley finished with 10 points, Earl added nine points, and Burks finished with eight points.
Falkville 58 – Holly Pond 53 (Varsity Boys)
Just like the varsity girls’, Holly Pond’s varsity boys got off to a quick start to their game against Falkville. Kollin Brown and Sawyer Olinger each drilled a long-range shot to give the Broncos a quick 6-0 lead. Falkville put in a layup to cut it to 6-2, but Carson Ryan nailed a three on the other end, and back-to-back baskets by Cade Allbright gave Holly Pond an early 13-2 lead more than halfway through the first quarter. The Blue Devils, though, had a quick answer, as they went on an 11-0 run to tie the game up at 13. Boston Gibbs stopped the bleeding with a jumper to give the Broncos a 15-13 lead. A basket on the other end by Falkville tied the game up at 15 going into the second quarter.
A hook shot by Nikolas Goodwin gave Holly Pond a 17-15 lead early in the quarter, but a trey by the Blue Devils gave them an 18-17 lead. That would be one of six lead changes that would go on during the quarter. A made jumper by Brown gave the Broncos the lead right back at 23-22. A late push by Falkville, though, saw them take a 29-25 lead into the locker room.
Ryan knocked down a layup off a nice pass from Allbright to cut it to 29-27 early in the third quarter, but six quick points by the Blue Devils pushed their lead to 35-27. Olinger knocked down a pair from the line, then Goodwin put in a shot in the paint to make it a 35-31 game late in the period. A pair of Brown free throws cut it to 35-33 with less than two minutes to go in the quarter. Falkville, though, scored the final five points of the period to increase their lead to 40-33 going into the final quarter.
Brown drilled a deep trey from the left wing to cut it to 40-36, then later added a pair of free throws to make it a 42-36 game. A Falkville made basket pushed their lead to 45-36, but Ryan and Allbright each knocked down some big free throws to cut it to 45-40 with 3:46 remaining in the contest. An Allbright made basket made it a 48-42 game with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Falkville knocked down a three to make it a 51-42 game, but Holly Pond looked to make things a little interesting at the end.
Goodwin drilled a huge three to cut it to 51-45, and later on, Olinger banked in a trey from the left wing to make it a 53-48 game with a little over a minute to go in the contest. Brown added one of his own from the left wing to trim it to just a two-point game at 55-53 with 26 seconds remaining. A late layup by Falkville, plus a free throw, though, helped seal the 58-53 win for the Blue Devils.
Brown led the way for Holly Pond with 19 points. Goodwin finished with nine points. Allbright and Olinger each added eight points, and Ryan ended up with seven points.
Holly Pond will travel to take on West End Friday night.
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