GDW Analysis:
Cullman basketball is enjoying the start of the 2025/26 season with the Lady Bearcats and Bearcats winners of their first four assignments.
They are the only program in the Gameday Weekly coverage area that has this accomplishment with the AHSAA season now two weeks old.
The Lady 'Cats and Bearcats will battle Dora High School Thursday from Bearcat Arena.
Both games will be available on cullmanbearcats.com
Lady 'Cats:
The first season for Tammy West at Cullman is positive in a 4 & 0 record.
Cullman posted a 44 to 36 victory last Saturday over Priceville in their weekend classic.
Steady play from the frontline of forward Molly Dorough, power forward Rachel Hoffman and center Molly Wilson has set the tone.
Getting shots from the perimeter by Kadence Hanback and smooth play at the point guard position by 7th grader Katherine Ugarkovich have good value too.
West inherited a team that had game time experience with Ugarkovich the newcomer.
GDW has seen the Lady 'Cats play three times as the pattern is flowing smoothly between West and her personnel.
Dora is 1 & 1 on the season after a 54 to 39 victory over Hanceville Monday night.
The 4A school from Walker County has a fine player in senior guard Bella Reese.
Reese scored 25 last Tuesday against Good Hope in the Veterans Day Classic at Wallace State and now has 2,000 points in her career.
Cullman has played two of its four games from the exciting atmosphere of Bearcat Arena.
Having a few days to recover from the emotion of a comeback victory at Priceville is a key for the squad to seek their 5th win in as many games.
Bearcats:
Cullman got a good test on Monday in Birmingham, fighting off a slower pace by Ramsay and beating the 6A school 45 to 43.
Stu Stuedeman's squad has undergone a pair of physical games in the span of a week.
Cullman used its tempo and depth on Veterans Day to ware down Decatur 70 to 51. The 'Cats outscored the Red Raiders 47 to 27 in the final half.
On Monday, Sam Dorough paced the attack with 15 points. SG Gray Hooper delivered 4 treys in the final half for 12 points with a three putting them ahead in the final minute of the contest.
Dora lost its opener Monday evening to the Hanceville Bulldogs 55 to 44.
Michael Bridges has been in command of the Bulldogs since 2012.
The Bulldogs are in Area 9 of Class 4A with Cordova, Curry and Tarrant.
Photo of Cullman Bearcats Sam Dorough (4) and Max Brooks (5) on the bench before a game vs. Carbon Hill November 13 at Bearcat Arena.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
