HANCEVILLE, Ala.- After a comeback win over Locust Fork on Tuesday night, The Vinemont Eagles found themselves in familiar territory Friday, trailing Hanceville by as many as 11 points early in the second half. Bulldogs’ sharpshooter Sam Abney had picked up right where he left off in the first, hitting his 7th three of the game to pin the team down even further. They lacked momentum on the floor, and a rowdy Bulldog crowd didn’t help. Behind some stellar team defense and gritty play from guard Bryson Bush, however, the team stormed back late and captured a 61-57 road win over region foe Hanceville.
The win boosts Vinemont’s regional record to 6-1, top in their region, and 13-7 overall. Hanceville, however, falls to 5-13 on the season and in possession of third place in the region with the county tournament just over a week away.
Opening the game, despite playing well overall, Vinemont had a clear issue: Hanceville’s Sam Abney couldn’t miss. The 6-1 guard has a knack for catching the defense off guard, seemingly disappearing and reappearing open at the top of the key. He capitalized on his opportunities, nailing six three-pointers in the first half and draining another three from the charity stripe. His 21 first-half points would’ve stood as a game-high even if he hadn’t touched the floor again.
For much of the second quarter, the game was a slugfest. On one end, the Eagles would get a tough and-one finish from Colton Gillis or Cheston Wilhite to start a run, then Abney would leak open and hit a deep ball or Shawn Pilman would grab a board and find his way to the line. Rounding out the first half, momentum was squarely on the shoulders of the Bulldogs, who closed out the second period on a 10-1 run that featured two Abney threes. Hanceville went into halftime with a 40-30 lead.
In Vinemont’s locker room, the focus was clear, and the players recognized it more than anyone.
“(Abney) is great, I have a player-led team, and they talked about taking him out of the equation at halftime. It was simple, just gotta find him, just gotta know where he is on the floor at all times and make sure he’s not getting clean catches,” Vinemont head coach James Brown said.
After another three early in the second half, they did just that, holding the Hanceville guard to just three points in the third quarter. Without those momentum-killing shots, Bush began to take over and the Eagles began piecing together a comeback. Bush’s scoring numbers weren’t eye-popping, finishing the night with 14 points, but his impact on the game goes beyond the box score. The ball always seemed to end up in his hands, and whether he muscled his way into the paint for a tough finish or swung the ball to an open man for a score, he’d make the right move. His motor is undeniable, evident by the trio of rebounds, six assists and two steals he recorded on top of his scoring.
“He’s my most consistent player. He’s physical, gets after it. He’s on the glass, he can get downhill, shoot a little bit. He’s our most complete player and he helps fuel this fire for sure,” Brown said.
Vinemont would go on to tie the game up at 50 at the end of the third, and open the fourth with five more points on what would end as a 13-0 run to take the lead for the final time. While Abney’s final three and a pair of tough layups would keep things interesting late, the Eagles always answered. Abney finished the night with 27 points (eight three-point makes), two rebounds and an assist. Closing off a game that had his fingerprints all over it, Bush sunk a free throw to ice a Vinemont victory. Another player that stuffed the box score for the Eagles was Wilhite, who finished the night with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
“We just did this Tuesday night at Locust Fork. We were down 16 midway through the third quarter, fought back and won by five. These guys have got alligator blood in their DNA or something, you’re just not gonna kill ’em, they just keep grinding,” said Brown.
Vinemont’s next matchup comes on Monday night, when they visit the Good Hope Raiders. For Hanceville, their next matchup will be another home game vs. Locust Fork on Tuesday.
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