Tigers win tourney for first time
By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle put an end to Hazel Green’s dominance of the Hartselle Sporting Goods House Special tournament.
The Tigers finished with four wins in the two-day tournament to claim the championship for the first time in four years.
Hartselle used an 83-68 victory over Hazel Green, three-time tournament champions, as a springboard to the 2008 title.
Hartselle beat Hazel Green, Decatur Heritage, Albertville and Elkmont to win the tournament.
Athens and Hazel Green both finished 3-1 in the tournament, while Brewer finished with a 2-2 mark.
Hartselle 56, Decatur Heritage 44
With a game-high 18 points, Hartselle’s Rodney Stansberry led the Tigers to a 12-point win over Decatur Heritage.
Stansberry finished with nine rebounds.
Zach Orr added 11 points for the Tigers in the win, while Tres Austin added nine points.
Manquez Jones had seven assists for Hartselle.
Decatur Heritage’s Austin Gill had 15 points. De’El Watkins added 11 points.
Hartselle 83, Hazel Green 68
Stansberry had a double-double in the Tigers’ 83-68 victory over Hazel Green Wednesday. The Hartselle senior scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the win.
Sam Fleischman added 18 points for the Tigers, while Tres Austin finished with 10 points.
Manquez Jones and Marquez Jones had six assists each.
Hartselle 63, Elkmont 55
Rodney Stansberry hit seven of his nine shots from the field to help send Hartselle to a 63-55 victory over Elkmont.
Stansberry finished with a team-high 18 points, while Sam Fleischman added 11 points.
The game was tied at 46-46 at the end of the third quarter. But after a Hartselle bucket to start the fourth quarter, Elkmont scored seven straight points to open a 53-48 advantage.
Hartselle got a 3-point play from Stansberry and a pair of buckets from Marquez Jones in the final three minutes to help the Tigers rally for the win.
Tom Logan had 19 points for Elkmont, while David Solomon finished with 17 points.
Hartselle 55, Albertville 45
Hartselle placed three players in double figures to hand Albertville a 55-45 loss Friday.
The Tigers went on an 11-3 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
Rodney Stansberry scored 14 points to lead Hartselle, while Zach Orr added 12 points. Sam Fleischman finished with 11 points in the win.
Brewer 64, Elkmont 58
The Patriots’ Kohl Sowder scored 19 points to help lead Brewer to a 64-58 win over Elkmont.
Cody Lanford added 14 points, while Kyle Bowling finished with 12 points.
Elkmont led by five points at the half, but Brewer outscored the Red Devils 40-29 in the second half.
Athens 64, Brewer 58
Kyle Bowling scored 14 points and Brandon Murray added 12 points in Brewer’s 64-58 loss to Athens.
Athens had three players finish in double figures with Chris Cain leading the way with 18 points.
Brewer 80, Decatur Heritage 33
Brewer hammered Decatur Heritage with a solid outing from Josh Vance, who finished with a game-high 22 points in the 47-point victory.
Brandon Murray finished with 11 points for the Patriots.
Brewer opened up a 43-19 lead at the half and coasted to the win.
Hazel Green 62, Brewer 60
Brewer got 13 points from Kyle Bowling, while Cody Lanford and Chris Dickerson finished with 11 points each in a 62-60 loss to Hazel Green.
Hazel Green overcame a two-point deficit at the half to pick up the win over the Patriots.
