Finals set for Area 1 basketball at Hampton High
Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, January 25, 2022
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Tuff Robinson brings the basketball up the floor for Little Milligan.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Austen Hartner prepares to go up with the basketball while stout defense was being applied by a Jr. Bulldog.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hampton's Jamie Turbyfill fights inside to take the ball to the rim while being guarded by Little Milligan's Bryce Fagan.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Jr. Bulldog Connor McKinney glides toward the rim for a Bulldog score.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hampton's Caden Davis finds himself amongst a pair of trees in the Little Milligan defenders.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Little Milligan's Serinity Harper pushes the basketball past the defense of Hunter's Keyona Hague.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Hunter's Katlyn Dugger has her eyes focused on the basket as she is being hounded by Little Milligan's Rylee Layne.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Lady Tiger Ari Sutherland prepares to send a shot toward the basket while being defended by Little Milligan's Baliegh Matthews.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Little Milligan's Hannah Baird has no place to go after being cut off by Hunter's Molly Buckles near the baseline.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Unaka's Sully Perkins puts up a jumper just inside the free-throw line.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Jacob Wilson takes the ball up with authority for two points against the U-H Jr. Bucs.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Grayson Huggins sends a trey straight to the bottom of the net.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Aiden Walsh turns the ball back inside as he is being closely guarded by a Jr. Buc.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Austin Lambert was a force inside all night for the Jr. Rangers.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
HAMPTON – After a full slate of basketball at Hampton High School on Monday, the boy’s and girl’s finals are set to take place on Tuesday with a boy’s consolation contest also on the slate.
In the boy’s consolation game at 5 p.m., it will be Hampton vs Unaka while the finals will see Little Milligan and University squaring off at 7:30 p.m.
The girl’s championship will feature two girls squads who are familiar with being in this game year in and year out in Cloudland and Hampton. That game begins at 6:15 p.m.
Monday Boy’s Semifinals
Little Milligan ….. 50
Hampton………….34
After being beaten soundly at Little Milligan in the regular season, the Jr. Bulldogs proved they weren’t just going to tuck their tails and hide as they battled the Little Milligan Buffaloes tough and nail before falling 50-34.
Coming off an MVP finish in last week’s small school tournament, Tuff Robinson once again showed up in a big way as he gunned in 19 points to lead the Buffs to the championship game.
There was plenty of support for Little Milligan as Bryce Fagan and Chase Davenport matched each other point for point as both recorded 12 points each. Eli Horn pitched in with four points while Austen Hartner added three points in the win.
Meanwhile, big man Jamie Turbyfill dominated inside for Hampton in leading the Jr. ‘Dogs with 10 points in the defeat. Connor McKinney chipped in with seven points while Jackson Smith added five points.
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Little Milligan, 50-34
Hampton (34)
Caden Davis 3, Talon Creed 3, Connor McKinney 7, Logan Lunsford 2, Jackson Smith 5, Austin Winfrey 2, Jamie Turbyfill 10, Cain Barnett 2.
Little Milligan (50)
Tuff Robinson 19, Bryce Fagan 12, Chase Davenport 12, Austen Hartner 3, Eli Horn 4.
Semifinal #2
University….41
Unaka ………39
In the game of the night, the Unaka Jr. Rangers had led this game for almost three quarters until the final 30 seconds of the third period when University grabbed their first lead and wouldn’t let go as they fended off a last-second three-point desperation attempt for an Unaka win.
Unaka built a 24-19 lead at the break behind the inside play of post Austin Lambert who dominated the paint to score nine points in the half. Sully Perkins chipped in with seven to help build the advantage.
Knox Poston led University in the half with eight to keep the score from being an even larger deficit.
The second half was a totally different contest as whatever was said in the University locker room at the break took root as the Jr. Bucs outscored the Jr. Rangers 14-8 in the quarter to seize a 33-32 lead heading into the final six minutes of play.
University built on the one-point edge and extended that lead to nine points about halfway through the final quarter before Unaka just kept chipping away at the lead.
A Lambert basket with one-second remaining narrowed the gap to 41-39 with the Jr. Rangers needing a miracle to earn a championship berth.
After a University timeout to set a play, the inbound pass that was meant to go down court, found its way out of bounds giving Unaka a shot at the miracle comeback underneath their own goal.
The ball came in but unfortunately, the final shot was just off and the Jr. Bucs advanced to the championship tilt.
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University, 41-39
Unaka (39)
Sully Perkins 9, Grayson Huggins 3, Aiden Walsh 1, Austin Lambert 20, Jacob Wilson 6.
University (41)
Grant Gentry 9, Cole Stevenson 7, Dallas Oliver 12, Gavin Olsen 2, Knox Poston 11.
Girls Consolation
Hunter …………. 32
Little Milligan … 6
It was all Hunter in the girl’s consolation contest as the Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Buffaloes 32-6.
Katlyn Dugger was the pacesetter for Hunter as she scored 12 points to lead all scorers.
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Hunter, 32-6
Hunter (32)
Keylee Russell 3, Molly Buckles 2, Brooklyn Campbell 5, Keyona Hague 5, Katlyn Dugger 12, Ari Sutherland 5.
Little Milligan (6)
Chloe Lee 2, Hannah Baird 2, Serinity Harper 2.
