Hampton grounds Eagles in regional quarterfinal contest
Published 11:35 pm Saturday, February 26, 2022
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Star Photo/Nic Miller Hampton's Michael Harrison surveys the floor during the second quarter.
Star Photo/Nic Miller The Bulldogs Morgan Lyons sizes up his defender after dealing a pump fake in the second quarter.
Star Photo/Nic Miller Hampton's Cadon Buckles pulls the basketball back, making the defender look silly on the reach attempt.
Star Photo/Nic Miller Hampton's Isaiah McCoury looks for an open teammate early in the first quarter of action.
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BY NIC MILLER
STAR STAFF
Regional tournament play continued in Carter County on Saturday, as it was now the boy’s teams that would hit the hardwood with one contest featuring the Hampton Bulldogs at home against the Eagles of Cosby High School.
With Cosby being a team that defeated the Bulldogs in the regional championship last season, Hampton was looking for revenge as they welcomed the Eagles to a sea of blue Saturday night.
The first quarter seemed to be that of a defensive contest to start off, but it didn’t take long for the offense to pick up as the contest saw each team scoring one right after the other.
With Hampton holding a close lead late in the first stanza, the Eagles would find themselves within reach, marching back and eventually taking the lead at the quarter’s end with a buzzer-beater triple by Paxton Coggins. Heading into the second period, Cosby would lead by a score of 15-14.
The second period saw home-court advantage playing a huge factor, as the Bulldog faithful were the only thing able to be heard in the gymnasium. Because of this, Hampton would storm back, taking a 28-23 advantage going into the halftime break.
The third stanza was one that focused on points in the paint, as the Bulldogs would move the ball into the lane possession after possession, imposing their will on the Eagles while also increasing their halftime lead.
But Cosby was not done yet, as consecutive three-point makes by Peyton Raines would bring the Eagles back within reach. In the end, the Bulldogs would surge offensively, increasing their lead to that of 44-38 heading into the final stanza.
In the fourth with the regional semifinals in their eyes, the Bulldogs were red hot and could not be stopped by the Eagles defense. On the other hand, Hampton’s defense was lockdown, allowing no points from the Eagles until the midway point of the quarter, and only four for the remainder of the contest.
By the end, things would be marked as a win for Hampton as the Bulldogs would go on to win by a final of 62-42.
For the Bulldogs in the win, Conor Burleson led his team with 14 points, while both Morgan Lyons and Cadon Buckles finished with 13 on the night.
Hampton will go on to play Hancock County on Tuesday at 6 p.m. That game will take place at Walters State Community College.
