HANCEVILLE, Ala.- Day three of the 2026 Cullman County Basketball Tournament started with a varsity girls matchup between No. 3 seed Good Hope and no. 6 seed Holly Pond. The Lady Raiders got off to a fast start to the game and led by nine after one and held the lead at the break. Good Hope stretched it out to double digits in the second half and kept Holly Pond at arm’s length for the rest of the game, as they would go on to knock off Holly Pond, 64-43, to move on to the semifinals.
It was a defensive battle to start out the game. Ella Davis hit a tough jumper in the paint on Good Hope’s opening possession to put them on the scoreboard first, but later in the quarter, Sadie Nail hit a basket down low to give Holly Pond a 3-2 lead with 4:41 remaining in the opening period. It was all Lady Raiders after though, as Sophie Konrad got things started with a pair of free throws, then Davis found Lexi Marshall for a layup to give them a 6-3 lead. Lucie Adams (left wing) and Konrad (right wing) each drilled a three to put them ahead, 12-3, going into the second quarter.
Both teams traded baskets and points for most of the second. Milly Huddleston drained a pair of free throws to cut the Lady Bronco deficit to nine at 18-9. Marshall knocked down a three from the left wing, and Ella Gossett added a basket in the paint to increase Good Hope’s lead to 23-9. Holly Pond, though, made a late push to get back in the game, all thanks to freshman Sadie Nail and sophomore Milly Huddleston, who hit a combined four baskets down low, and Ava Thomas added a free throw to make it a 26-18 contest at the half.
Sadie Nail and Huddleston each put in a basket in the paint to cut it to 28-22 with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter. Good Hope answered with a three by Marshall from the right wing and a rebound and putback by Davis to make it a 33-22 game. Maggie Nail scored five straight points for the Lady Broncos to cut it to 36-27 late in the third. Good Hope, though, countered with a big run of their own to close out the quarter. Davis hit a basket down low, then Marshall got fouled while shooting a three and ended up hitting two of three to give the Lady Raiders a 40-27 lead. Marshall later added a steal and a basket, then Gossett knocked down a basket down low and Marshall hit a free throw to stretch Good Hope’s lead to 45-29 going into the final quarter.
Thomas nailed a short jumper to trim it to 46-31 early in the fourth, but Konrad and Marshall helped spearhead a 14-5 Lady Raider run with a combined four threes, as that put them ahead, 60-36. Adams hit a pair of baskets down low to put the finishing touches on a 64-43 win for Good Hope, as they will move on to the next round.
Konrad led the way for the Lady Raiders with 21 points. Marshall wasn’t too far behind with 19, and Adams ended up with 12 points. For Holly Pond, Sadie Nail finished the game with 16 points, and her sister, Maggie, wasn’t too far behind with 14 points.
Good Hope will take on the no. 2 seed Vinemont in the semifinals on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m.
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