Cullman shakes off slow start to beat Thompson Monday night:
Bearcats rebound from Hartselle loss, Lady 'Cats fall at home:
AHSAA Basketball at Bearcat Arena Monday:
Thompson 16 8 9 15 - 48 (3 & 6)
Cullman 11 17 15 20 - 63 (10 & 1)
Cullman: Sam Dorough 22, Gray Hopper 16, Brooks Loftin 13, Owen Graves 10, John Luke Witcher 3.
Thompson: Ethan Hudson 11, Cam Pritchett 7
AHSAA Girls BK at Bearcat Arena Monday:
Thompson 9 20 10 14 - 53 (6 & 6)
Cullman 11 13 10 4 - 38 (9 & 2)
Braelyn Castille 15, Kayla Russell 13
Cullman: Molly Wilson 11, Catherine Ugarkovich 10, Rachel Hoffman 9, McKinley Varden 3, Kadence Hanback 3, Molly Dorough 1.
Flash Facts:
A slow beginning for the Bearcats with only 11 points, 3 FGs and shooting 66 percent at the line became a memory for the rest of the evening with their visitor from Alabaster.
In the last 24:00, the 'Cats outscored the Warriors 52 to 32, converted 16 FGs, 7 treys and were 10 of 11 at the line in the 2nd half.
Thompson tallied 11 made shots following the 1st, 32 points, 3 treys and 50 percent shooting from the FT line.
Stu Stuedeman's squad was not about to go down to defeat for the 2nd consecutive game and especially at Bearcat Arena.
Hartselle stunned Cullman 57 to 50 last Friday with the 'Cats aware of facing an athletic and physical squad that held the upper hand of a 16 to 11 lead in the 1st and led 22 to 15 during the 2nd.
Cullman closed the stanza on a 13 to 2 surge with Dorough scoring 7 in the frame while Lofton made a couple of FGs and threes by Hopper and Witcher benefitted the effort.
In the 3rd, two FTs from Lofton after an intentional foul on Thompson and a shot in the paint upped the lead to 30 to 26.
The 'Cats would go 6 of 6 at the line in the period and took a 43 to 33 advantage into the last stanza.
Cullman scored 4 threes to give them breathing room with two by Hopper and two by Dorough. They worked together for 17 of the 20 points in the last 8:00 from their backcourt location.
Cullman Lady Bearcats engaged a Thompson team that had a person with a Cullman County background that would send them to their first home loss of the first season with Tammy West now at the helm.
Former Hanceville standout Dee Merriweather Castille has two daughters that start for the Lady Warriors.
Braelyn Castille is an 8th grade post player with Breanna a sophomore wing guard.
Both chipped in for Thompson to upset a unit that entered the game with a .900 winning percentage.
Thompson had a 20 to 13 run in the 2nd sending them ahead at the break 29 to 24.
The difference would be the last 8:00 with Cullman scoring only 4 points, all from the line. The Lady 'Cats did not tally a FG in the final period and made three during the 2nd half.
Thompson's defense shut down the Cullman perimeter scoring with Molly Dorough 0 FGs and Kadence Hanback 0 treys after she was 7 of 8 last Friday in a 56 to 46 victory at rival Hartselle.
Missing 10 FTs out of 21 tries was another factor with no individual shooting better than 50 percent at the stripe Monday evening.
Up next for Cullman BK:
At Pike Road Thursday
Lady 'Cats 5:30 p.m.
Bearcats 7:00 p.m.
Both games will be on cullmanbearcats.com
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
