CULLMAN COUNTY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (JUNIOR VARSITY BOYS): West Point outlasts Vinemont 38-32 for crown

Published 5:40 pm Saturday, January 26, 2019

West Point's junior varsity boys.

HANCEVILLE – West Point’s junior varsity boys wanted to attack the basket frequently in Saturday’s Cullman County Basketball Tournament championship game at Tom Drake Coliseum.

The Warriors executed the plan perfectly.

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Five West Point players registered buckets in the first quarter — all coming in the paint — and the third-seeded Warriors held off a second-half rally from No. 5 Vinemont for a 38-32 title-clinching victory.

“We thought we could do some effective things with our inside game, and it definitely set the tone,” said West Point coach Scott Brown, whose team notched its second win this season over Vinemont. “I’m extremely proud of our guys. They’ve worked so hard and overcome ups and downs throughout the regular season. Our players deserve this feeling.”

Logan Selby poured in 11 points for West Point, Carter Thornton added seven, and Jonathan Fell, Brannon Bright and Mason Walls pitched in with four apiece.

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Selby paced the balanced West Point march in the first half, scoring nine of his 11 before intermission.

West Point (10-17) nursed a 10-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter and pushed its lead to double digits after a Thornton layup with 4:24 remaining in the second frame.

Selby extended West Point’s cushion to 20-9 with a little more than a minute remaining in the first half, and the Maroon and White led 22-12 at the break.

“It gave us a confident boost to come out and have success near the rim. I was proud of how we came out and took care of business. I’m proud of my teammates. Everyone in our locker room is so happy,” Selby said.

Vinemont featured its most impressive run at the outset of the third quarter, putting together an 11-0 surge. Caleb Sharpe accounted for four points during the run, Tanner Brown converted a field goal and a free throw, and Teague Whatley and Sam Maldonado each scored a basket.

Maldonado’s layup capped the spurt, handing the Eagles a brief 23-22 edge with 2:50 to go in the third.

West Point answered on its next possession with a 3-pointer by Bright, seizing a 25-23 cushion.

“Vinemont pinned its ears back in the third quarter and came after us. It took us a while to respond, but we ultimately regained our composure,” Brown said.

Added Selby: “Carter Thornton told everyone to calm down during a timeout, and we were able to close the game.”

A 3-pointer by Vinemont’s Whatley trimmed its deficit to 34-32 with 8.2 seconds remaining in the game, but the Warriors iced the championship with made free throws from Elvis Arroyo and Walls.

Whatley finished with a game-high 12 points for Vinemont (17-8). Sharpe added six points, and Brown and Bryce Perkins contributed five apiece.


All-Tournament Team:

Logan Selby – West Point

Mason Walls – West Point

Teague Whatley – Vinemont

Tanner Brown – Vinemont

Brodie Malcom – Hanceville