WEST POINT — Hanceville got Moore than it bargained for to start the fourth quarter Tuesday night against West Point.

Cameron Moore sparked a string of 12 unanswered points for the Warriors with back-to-back 3’s out of the break, making the difference in a 57-45 win for the home team.

Well, maybe not the difference. To West Point coach Randy Jones, that was Kobe Smith, who stuck like glue to Xavier Malcom all night and limited the Bulldog sharpshooter to just 10 points.

Andrew Shaw (3-pointer) and Tanner Rusk (three-point play) capped off the Warriors’ decisive spree to open the final frame. Rusk finished with a game-high 19 points.

“Even though we hit the 3’s, we still had to stop them offensively, and we did a super job in that fourth quarter defensively,” Jones said. “Kobe Smith did a great job on Xavier because he’s one of the best players around. He made him work.”

Moore’s first fourth-quarter swish from long range broke a 39-39 tie and accounted for the last of 18 lead changes. All eight made baskets — and one trip to the free throw line by West Point — in the second quarter swung the advantage from one county rival to the other.

Moore and Smith accompanied Rusk in double digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Seth Parker posted all eight of his points in the first quarter.

Rusk added nine rebounds. Smith was good for seven, four steals and a block on a night his sheer athleticism and hustle were simply too much to handle.

In the last meeting, a 68-57 victory for Hanceville, Malcom had gone off for 30-plus points.

Smith kept the Bulldogs’ biggest weapon on a short leash in the rematch to avoid the same fate.

“They did a good job on him,” Hanceville coach Daniel Wakefield said. “They contested every shot. They came off and did a good job of hedging every screen that we tried to get for ‘X.'”

Isaac Weissend was the visitor’s top scorer with 13 points. Luke Duffie and Jordan Peoples both tossed in seven.

The Warriors were 14 of 16 at the charity stripe. The Dawgs were 2 of 3.

Need help with the math? Wakefield has you covered.

“They outscored us from the line by 12 and that was the final score,” he said. “I feel like they were more aggressive. We shot too many outside shots. We’ve got to be more aggressive against them if we’re to see them again.”

Hanceville, which had last played Dec. 19 in the Corner Christmas Tournament, will take an 11-6 record into an area affair at Vinemont on Friday.

West Point (8-10) will host Fairview in an area matchup.

“It’s been a long, long, tough year for us, the way we started, but these guys are battling right now,” Jones said. “I’m proud of the way they’re playing.”

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Varsity Girls

West Point 57, Hanceville 36

Jeri Beasley had all the motivation she needed against a school her family knows all too well.

The Warrior senior’s father, Chuck, is a Hanceville alumnus. And he’s usually quick to comment the minute the Beasley’s get home.

Sorry, dad, but it was daughter’s turn to trash talk Tuesday night.

Beasley ripped off 20 points, including a personal 9-0 run as West Point (5-15) pulled away for good in the second quarter.

The Dawgs (7-6), who’d trailed just 12-10 before the tear, never drew closer than four the rest of the evening.

“I’ve always tried my hardest when I play Hanceville,” Beasley said. “I really don’t like losing to them because of my dad.”

Madison Roberts aided the win with 10 points — all in the fourth quarter. Eighth-grader Mackenzie Carter cashed in an offensive rebound just before the halftime buzzer and kicked in seven points overall. Lillie Burdette had six.

“We really needed this,” Beasley said. “We’ve struggled a lot this season, but I think this win tonight has actually helped us and built up our confidence.”

Taylor Hollingsworth topped the Bulldogs with 11 points. Brooke Barnett collected six.