OAKWOOD — West Hall did everything you’re not supposed to do to win a game.
Four key players missed practice and were suspended for the first half. The Spartans missed easy shots, they played spotty defense, they missed key free throws, they had two crucial turnovers in the final 29 seconds and four in the final minute.
Yet, Dylan Curry’s three-point play with 3.2 seconds left somehow salvaged a 49-47 win for the Spartans in a crucial Region 7-AAA victory over Fannin County Saturday afternoon at the West Hall gym.
“We had no business winning that game,” West Hall coach Zac Swansey said. “We had some guys that did a selfish act and it nearly cost us the game. But Noah Edmundson, Zach Majerus, and Tae Reid gave us some huge minutes in the first half. We’re trying to build a winning culture and hopefully those guys (who were suspended) will get the message.”
The Spartans (6-7, 2-2 Region 7-AAA) were cold from the field the entire game and hit just one 3-pointer, missing 12-of-13 they attempted. Defensively, the Rebels’ Adam Ingram broke them down repeatedly pouring in 16 points to go with six assists.
And tt looked like Ingram had shot Fannin County (7-6, 0-3) to its first region win of the season converting a three-point play with 29 seconds left off a Spartans turnover to give the Rebels a 47-46 lead. He had a chance to ice the game moments later but missed the front end of a 1-and-1 attempt with 17 seconds left. After another West Hall turnover, Fannin County’s Logan Holt also had a chance to add to the lead but he missed a 1-and-1 attempt with 10.3 seconds left.
Esteban Ulloa grabbed the rebound, started a fastbreak and fed Curry who was fouled hitting a driving layup and then completed the three-point play for the final lead. Ulloa then stole the Rebels inbounds pass to literally help the Spartans steal a win.
“We only made two plays all night: the one offensive play and the one steal at the end,” Swansey said. “Fannin County deserved to win the game. They outplayed us for 31 1/2 minutes. But we had some guys show some heart at the end. Hopefully this will get us going for the region schedule.”
It was nip-and-tuck the entire way, especially in the first half. The two teams combined for eight lead changes and seven ties 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 20, and 22. Neither led by more than three until Fannin County used a 6-0 run to grab a 20-16 lead late in the second quarter.
The Rebels did a good job neutralizing West Hall’s outside shooting. The Spartans were a combined 0-for-8 from behind the arc. West Hall’s early shooting woes contributed to just a 9-8 lead after the first quarter for the Spartans.
Ulloa also was held to just one first half field goal while fighting foul trouble. Curry kept the Spartans in the game pouring in 14 points despite missing all four 3-pointers he attempted. But the senior guard was 6-of-7 on free throws. Xzavier Reid had just four first half points on one field goal and a pair of free throws.
After Fannin County took the 20-16 lead West Hall answered with four straight points from Curry to tie the game but the Rebels hit four straight free throws to take a 24-22 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter Fannin County raced out to a 29-22 lead with a quick 5-0 run. West Hall answered with a 10-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Xzavier Reid, to claim the lead at 32-31 with 2:29 left in the period. But the Rebels responded with a 5-2 spurt to close out the quarter for a 36-34 lead.
Fannin County maintained its slim lead until Ingram capped a 5-0 run for a 44-40 lead with 4:34 left. The Spartans answered back with a 6-0 run and a 46-44 lead with 41 seconds left setting up until the wild finish.
Curry finished with a game-high 22 points to lead West Hall. Ulloa added 11 and Xzavier Reid nine for the Spartans.
Andrew Ladd added 12 points, all in the second half, and Holt finished with nine points for Fannin County.
West Hall will play host to Chestatee on Tuesday in a non-region battle while Fannin County will play host to East Hall in another Region 7-AAA contest.
WEST HALL GIRLS 63
FANNIN COUNTY 36
West Hall girls coach Bryan Richerson is hoping his team’s current two-game win streak will help slow down the roller coaster ride that has been their season so far.
Saturday's game mirrored their season.
Mackenzie McClure gave Fannin County a quick 2-0 on a pair of free throws in the first 10 seconds of the game. It was all West Hall after that in a Region 7-AAA victory for the Lady Spartans.
West Hall (7-6, 2-2 Region 7-AAA) answered with a 13-0 run, powered by seven points from Anna McKendree, and never trailed again. The Lady Spartans built a 29-point second quarter lead but then saw the Lady Rebels cut the lead to 15 early in the fourth quarter. West Hall closed out the game with a 14-2 run for the lopsided win.
“We’re glad to get the win but I would like to see us be more consistent,” Richerson said. “We’re up and down and it’s hard to win in this region without playing consistent every night. We did some good things early but then we had a lull in the middle. We still have some work to do.”
McKendree, a sophomore, did a little of everything in the opening eight minutes with 10 points, four rebounds, one assist and one block to help the Lady Spartans finish the first quarter with a 19-5 lead.
The first seven points for the Lady Rebels (3-10, 0-3) all came from the free throw line. They did not get their first field goal of the game until 1:36 left in the first half on a basket by Hope Franklin to cut the lead to 36-9 after West Hall used a 17-0 run to blow the game open.
The Lady Spartans lead by as many as 29, 38-9, on a Avery Prather basket with just over a minute left but Fannin County closed out the first half with a 4-0 run to cut West Hall’s lead to 38-13 by halftime.
McKendree finished with 17 points, five rebounds, two steals, two assist, and one block in the first half for West Hall. Prather and Macy Passmore each had seven points in the first half for the Lady Spartans.
Fannin County opened the second half with a 5-0 run to close within 38-18 and then used an 8-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to get within 49-34 with 6:49 left in the game.
The Lady Spartans reawoke closing out the game with a 14-2 run, sparked by a three-point play from McKendree and a long 3-pointer from Passmore, and holding the Lady Rebels scoreless over the final five minutes while pulling away for the big win.
McKendree finished with 29 points, seven rebounds, three steals, three assists, and two blocks to lead West Hall. Passmore had 12 points and four rebounds and Prather had nine points and three steals for the Lady Spartans.
Franklin paced Fannin County with 11 points and McClure added nine points.
