VB Finishes 2nd in TOC

Many thought nobody stood much of a chance to knock off a nationally ranked Hamilton Heights squad at the Tournament of Champions. With less than two minutes to go in Saturday's TOC title game though, the Lady Hawks found themselves tied with Van Buren. But six-foot junior Elizabeth Balogun came up with big plays on both ends of the court as Hamilton Heights, from Chattanooga, Tenn., survived the scare from the Lady Pointers, pulling out a 50-43 win at Southside Gym. "For our kids to put us in a position to where it was basically a one-possession game with over a minute to play, that's all you can ask for," Van Buren coach Chris Bryant said. "Hamilton's very worthy of their ranking and stature. ... Just absolutely thrilled with the effort and the toughness and the togetherness that our kids played with (Saturday) to give us a chance to beat a basketball team that we may never see the likes of again, so it was a great opportunity and a great experience for our kids." The Lady Hawks (10-0), ranked among the top five in several national publications, led for much of the game but could not shake off the Lady Pointers. And each time Van Buren (4-2) came up with a big shot, Hamilton answered on the other end. But with 1:51 left and the crowd clearly on Van Buren's side, Lady Pointer guard Jamilyn Kinney hit a long-distance 3 which tied the score at 43-all. Hamilton, though, stayed unflappable. On the next possession, Balogun's short jumper along the baseline broke the tie with 1:25 left. Balogun then added four more points in the final minute on free throws while grabbing two defensive rebounds and blocking a shot, one of five blocks she had on the night. She also led all scorers with 20 points in being named the tournament MVP. "These girls have been playing ball for a long time and even though we've got a few older girls, over 50 percent of our team are freshmen, so we've got a young team and they were still able to keep their cool and play hard," Hamilton coach Keisha Hunt said. Early on, it appeared as if it wouldn't be much of a game as Hamilton sprinted out to a 15-2 advantage. But Van Buren weathered the storm and gradually got back into the game. The Lady Pointers got within five at halftime, 21-16, on Halie Jennen's 3 at the buzzer. Van Buren later pulled within a point late in the third quarter on Kinney's 3, and again with less than three minutes to go when Bailey Jones' 3 cut the Lady Hawks' lead to 41-40. Amber Hunt added 14 points in the win for Hamilton. Kinney was the lone Lady Pointer in double figures with 14, and she had four 3's as well.

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VB FINISHES 2ND IN TOC

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 12/11/2016