HANCEVILLE, Ala.- In the second matchup of the varsity boys bracket on Tuesday evening, the no. 3 Fairview Aggies met a feisty sixth-seeded Vinemont team in the first round of the Cullman County tournament. Vinemont took off after a third quarter run in an otherwise balanced and close game, with cross-court passes and busted defensive coverage giving the Eagles a 57-45 upset of Fairview. They’ll move on to the semifinals, where they await the winner of Tuesday night’s no. 2 West Point vs. no. 7 Hanceville matchup.
Opening the matchup was an electric back and forth quarter of basketball, with Vinemont playing up to their no. 3-seeded competition. Their offense’s ball movement alone showed signs of future trouble for the Aggies, with backdoor cuts leading to a pair of baskets, but they were able to overcome it with a pair of threes by Ty Babb and Cai Collins. Fairview’s shots kept falling, and Vinemont kept moving the ball until they found an open man for an easy basket. One of the most tenacious guards in the county, Bryson Bush, put his skills on display. Scoring isn’t always his thing, despite being fairly good at it. Where he shines is down low, cutting into the paint and slinging it out to an open man or making crafty behind-the-back passes, or taking the shot if he’s clear. He’s the epicenter of the Eagles’ offense, which hadn’t fully hit its’ stride yet, but was only trailing 13-12 at the end of the first.
With active hands on defense, as well, Bush picked off a pass and took it back for a layup to open the second quarter for the Eagles. On the other end, Fairview was still finding the bucket, with Collins hitting a three, and Babb pulling up on a swift jumper from the elbow to keep pace. Sticking with the theme of tough and even basketball, both teams went shot for shot, with Vinemont leading 25-22 after three straight makes from the charity stripe for Bush, who was fouled on a corner three attempt.
The third quarter saw Vinemont uncoil and strike, moving into a hard press defense, but leaving Sam Marsh under the bucket to receive the pass should they get a steal. They did, often, with that one move and a few threes from Marsh fueling a 17-5 third quarter that would prove the difference in the game. While Collins did his best to keep the Aggies afloat, scoring all five of their third quarter points, the lack of secondary scoring would be the dagger, facing a steep 39-27 deficit heading into the final period.
The deficit would grow, with the fourth period starting off with Bush, who picked off a pass and made one of the standout plays of the tournament, hooking it half the length of the court to a wide open Sam Marsh, who knocked down his fifth and final three of the game. It was an instant gut punch for the Aggies, who were looking to make the first big comeback of the tournament. They responded, however, playing their best basketball since the second. Babb took control of the offense, shooting every semi-open look he got. His ten fourth-quarter points kept the hope for a comeback alive into the final minutes, which saw Vinemont’s EJ Sharpe and Marsh put the final touches on the upset win for Vinemont.
The Eagles were led in scoring by Marsh, who had a game-high 21 points along with six rebounds and a steal. Bush stuffed the stat sheet, scoring nine and grabbing three rebounds, recording two assists and blocking a shot.
For Fairview, Babb led their effort with 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Collins scored 14 and had three rebounds, two steals and a block.
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