Full Gas

Alcoa Middle holds off Eagleton in thriller

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

The head coaches at Alcoa and Eagleton middle both know their teams are close as the regular season hits the home stretch.

Just how close the Tornadoes and Royals, respectively, put on vivid display at Vernon Osborne Gymnasium last week.

Capri Allen cut to the basket and dished to Akai William for a close-in bucket with just over a minute to play, and Alcoa held off its guests for a 44-43 win, the outcome going to the final horn before a final decision.

Allen, big throughout for the Tornadoes, got the inbounds pass safely to Williams with 1.9 seconds left, the Alcoa big man flinging the ball down court to exhaust the remaining time.

“We’ve been playing a lot of tight games,” Alcoa coach Derrell Dean said. “The good thing about that is it’s going to get you tested and ready for tournament time. So I’m excited about it.

“They’re getting better. We’re young this year, and they’re growing. A few of them are stepping up, so, as I said, I’m excited about it.”

Displaying a developing all-court arsenal, Williams paced the Tornadoes with 15 points, including a well-taken three. Allen rang the bell three times from deep en route to finishing with 11.

(Editor: Baller alert!)

Westyn Witt and Nolan Ritchey had seven and five, respectively, for the home team. Working hard beneath the rim, Ja’Marius DuBose tacked on four.

In a back-and-forth affair from the second quarter on, Luke Robison kept the Royals right there with a team-best 11, including a trey. He had plenty of backup.

Lucas Alexander found the netting for 10 points, Raleigh Moore eight. Hyppolite Jean had four for Eagleton.

“We’re right there,” Eagleton coach Josh Tummel said. “The thing is, we’ve got a bunch of really good kids, and we’ve got good kids that listen. When you listen, you’re going to be in every basketball game.”

The Royals, Tummel said, played as tough a schedule as they could find this season.

“I didn’t do us any favors,” he said.

Dean put the Tornadoes through the same grinder. Both, it seems, have their team peaking at just the right time.