PREP BASKETBALL: Holly Pond, Cold Springs earn wins over Austin, Hackleburg

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Ava Thomas posted 21 points in Holly Pond’s 54-47 win over Austin at Wallace State on Monday. (Sammy Confer)

HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Holly Pond Lady Broncos and Cold Springs Lady Eagles traveled to Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum on Monday for a pair of matchups with Austin and Hackleburg, respectively. Both teams came away victorious, with Holly Pond claiming a 54-47 win over Austin and Cold Springs riding a big second quarter to a 67-33 win over Hackleburg.

Holly Pond 52 – Austin 47 (Varsity Girls)

Driving layups by Madison Butts and Maggie Nail helped Holly Pond get out to a quick 4-0 lead, but Austin scored six straight points to take a 6-4 lead. Ava Thomas hit a tough basket in the paint, and Sadie Nail later added a basket of her own to give the Lady Broncos the lead right back at 8-6 late in the first quarter. Millie McBee knocked down a driving layup, and Alana Phillips’ rebound and putback made it a 12-8 game, and Holly Pond would take a 12-10 lead into the second period.

Butts scored through a foul and drilled the free throw to make it 15-10. She then hit a driving layup to push the Lady Bronco lead to 17-10. Later in the second, Thomas drained a trey from the right wing, and Butts added a free throw to give Holly Pond a 21-13 lead with 4:38 remaining in the first half. A pair of baskets by the Lady Black Bears cut it to 23-19, but the Lady Broncos finished the first half strong. Maggie Nail split her free throws, Butts put in a driving layup, Blakely Baggett drilled a pair from the line, and Thomas knocked down a shot just before the buzzer to give them a 30-19 lead at the half.

Two quick baskets by Thomas stretched Holly Pond’s lead to 34-20 early in the third period. Austin trimmed it to 34-25, but another basket by Thomas, put a pair of Maggie Nail free throws, gave the Lady Broncos a 38-25 lead. Later in the third, Sadie Nail knocked down a basket in the paint, and Thomas added a pair of free throws and a basket of her own to put Holly Pond ahead, 44-31, after three.

Thomas continued her strong second half as she drilled a short jumper to make it 46-31, then a basket by McBee and another one by Thomas gave the Lady Broncos a 50-33 lead. A late run by the Lady Black Bears cut it to 52-42, but a rebound and putback by Butts made it a 54-42 game. The Lady Broncos would go on to knock off Austin 54-47 to extend their winning streak to four games.

Thomas finished with 21 points for Holly Pond (5-2) and Butts added 14 points.

Cold Springs 67 – Hackleburg 33 (Varsity Girls)

Ella Dickerson scored the first five points of the game for Cold Springs to give them the early lead, but Hackleburg cut it to 5-4. Dickerson scored through a foul and completed the three-point play from the free throw line to make it an 8-4 game. The Lady Panthers scored the next seven points to take an 11-8 lead late in the first quarter. Kaydance Williams and Dickerson each added baskets in the paint to give the Lady Eagles the lead right back at 12-11. Dickerson got fouled before the quarter ended, and she ended up hitting both free throws, as Cold Springs took a 14-13 lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter was the turning point of the game for the Lady Eagles. Kenady Graves put in a basket in the paint, then threes by Dickerson and Aleah Addison quickly stretched their lead to 22-13. Dickerson continued her strong start to the game as she knocked down a basket in the paint and added a pair of free throws to make it 26-15. Williams knocked down a pair of baskets down low, and the lead swelled to 31-17. Hollyn Bruer scored four straight points, and Paizley Whitlow added a free throw, and Cold Springs took a commanding 36-19 lead into the locker room. The Lady Eagles outscored Hackleburg 22-6 in the second quarter.

Bruer knocked down a shot in the paint, and Dickerson added two more baskets to make it a 42-21 game in the third. Addison and Graves each drilled a three in the quarter, and that gave Cold Springs a 49-27 lead going into the final period. Bruer scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter for Cold Springs to make it 56-31. Whitlow, Addison, and Baylee Perdue each added baskets of their own in the fourth, and the Lady Eagles ended up rolling past the Lady Panthers, 67-33.

Dickerson led the way for Cold Springs (4-1) with 23 points. Bruer added 16 points, Addison finished with 11 points and Williams posted seven.

Holly Pond will return to Tom Drake Coliseum on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. to take on Decatur and Cold Springs will travel to Hartselle to play East Limestone at 4:30 p.m.

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