HANCEVILLE, Ala.- The no. 3-seeded Good Hope Lady Raiders took on the no. 6 seed Vinemont Lady Eagles in game two of the JV girls’ bracket in the Cullman County Basketball Tournament on Saturday afternoon. Good Hope played a complete game behind their backcourt of Gracie Gray and Ella Eisner, who helped build three large scoring streaks that would eventually propel them to a 56-25 defeat of Vinemont.
The Lady Eagles would strike first on a deep three from guard Jayden Knott, but it would be the only time they trailed the entire game. The Lady Raiders responded quickly with a big shot from Riley Lansford, which was the beginning of what would eventually become a 16-0 run that would last the entirety of the first quarter. Spectacular ball movement, perimeter defense and a pair of threes from Eisner helped in creating the 16-3 gap at the end of the period.
After a Lansford putback bucket opened the second quarter, Vinemont found a spark off the bench. A deep three from guard Sara Rodgers broke the 18-0 Good Hope run, then she’d go on to attack the basket on the next possession, earning a trip to the charity stripe. Rodgers hit one, making the game 18-7. On the other end, Lady Raider guard Caroline Neighbors started what would be a solid effort on the day, attacking the bucket and earning, then hitting, a pair of free throws, then getting a putback layup on the next possession. The Lady Eagles would continue to struggle to find rhythm. They got a pair of layup makes from Knott, but Good Hope hit right back with an Eisner three to make the lead 26-14 at the half.
Like the end of the first, Vinemont found some offense to start the second half, but Good Hope would go on another big run, scoring 11 unanswered, capped off by a big three from Gracie Garmon. After a Knott layup, Garmon would go back down and sink another deep ball to make it 41-19 at the end of the third.
The Lady Raiders would ride the momentum to yet another long scoring streak to start the fourth, scoring 10 straight to open the quarter. Leading the way was Gray, who’d been solid all day but got six of her 12 points during the run, highlighted by a sweet gliding layup over a Vinemont defender to put a cap on a 56-25 victory.
Good Hope was led by two players with 12 points. One was Gray, who also added three assists, a rebound and a steal, and the other, Garmon who finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, an assist and a block. Eisner’s sharp shooting in the first gave her a 10 point finish, with a rebound and an assist, and Neighbors was rock solid down low with six points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals.
The Lady Raiders will move on to round two, where they’ll face the winner of no. 2 Cold Springs vs. no. 7 Hanceville.
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