By Bart Moss / For the FCT

The Belgreen Bulldogs won a double overtime thriller to claim the 2018 Franklin County Tournament championship 64-53 Monday night. On their home court, in front a packed gymnasium, it was the second consecutive county championship for the Bulldogs.

“This was such a big win for our seniors,” said Belgreen coach Clint Isbell. “We knew it would be their last time to get a chance to win the tournament, and we wanted them to go out on top on our home court.

“When the game got to the second overtime, our guys found a new burst of energy. Our crowd was great. I think our guys fed off that energy, and it really helped us down the stretch.”

As much as regulation was defined by both teams hitting short, soft jump shots and finishing hard drives to the basket, overtime was defined by the team that would hit pressure free throws.

That team was Belgreen.

The Bulldogs made 12 of 19 free throws in overtime, including 10 of 15 in the second overtime. Red Bay, by contrast, went two-for-eight in the first overtime and only got to shoot two in the second overtime, making just one.

“We had the guys we wanted on the line,” said Red Bay coach John Torisky. “We just couldn’t get them to go down. Mentally we just were not there in overtime. We didn’t execute mentally.

“Nothing was easy tonight. Both teams had to work for everything they got.”

Both teams had chances to put the game away in regulation but couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities.

Trailing by two points, 40-38, going into the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to take a 46-40 lead. The Tigers took the lead late in the game on a layup by Braden Ray to make the score 47-46.

With just under 30 seconds to go in the game, Seth Taylor regained the lead for Belgreen on a layup to make the score 48-47.

Red Bay’s Gath Weatherford drove the center of the land and was fouled with 14 seconds to go in the game. He hit his first free throw to tie the game 48-48 but missed the second free throw.

Belgreen called timeout to set up a final shot, but the Tigers were able to get the ball back on a charging violation against the Bulldogs.

Red Bay got the ball back with 4.7 seconds left on the clock. The Tigers went the length of the floor and got the ball to Ray on the left-edge of the free throw line for an open shot, but the ball bounced off the front of the rim, sending the game into overtime.

Both teams struggled to score points in the first overtime, with each team scoring two. Belgreen took over the game in the second overtime at the free throw line.

Belgreen had three players in double figures. Eli Hiser led the Bulldogs with 17 points. Mason Bragwell added 15 points, and Jacob Mayberry 13 points. Seth Taylor finished the game with eight points, Payton Scott six points, Gaven Taylor three points and Jake Taylor two points.

Weatherford led Red Bay with 22 points. Ray added nine points, Clay Allison eight points, Peyton Green five points, Hunter Bays five points, Colton Corum two points and Jalen Vinson two points.

Semifinal: Red Bay 71, Tharptown 51

The Red Bay Tigers had two big runs in their semifinal matchup against the Tharptown Wildcats. The second run, coming in the third quarter, finally put the Wildcats away for good, as Red Bay won 71-51, vaulting them to the finals, where they would face Belgreen.

Red Bay jumped out to a 19-10 first quarter lead, aided by a 13-0 run by the Tigers. Tharptown cut Red Bay’s lead to four points by halftime, as the Tigers took a 26-22 lead into the locker room.

Red Bay had pulled out to a seven-point lead in the third quarter when Tharptown’s Carson Petree hit a three-pointer to cut the Tigers’ lead to 34-30. Red Bay then went on a big 15-0 run to take a 49-30 lead.

The Tigers led 51-36 going into the fourth quarter.

Ray led Red Bay with 19 points. Allison followed with 15 points, Corum with 12 points and Green with 10 points.

The Tigers’ leading scorer, Weatherford, spent much of the game on the bench in foul trouble but added six points to the mix. Bays added four points, Vinson three points and Noah Brewer two points.

Cole Daniel led Tharptown with 12 points. Levi McCormack followed with 11 points and Edward Lopez with 10 points. Petree finished with nine points and Winston Nolen with six points.

Semifinals: Belgreen 58, Phil Campbell 49

The Belgreen Bulldogs got the best of the Phil Campbell Bobcats in the best match-up of the six Saturday semifinal games. Belgreen hit some big shots late in the game to beat the Bobcats 58-49.

The scoring pace was nonstop in the first quarter, and the Bobcats came out on top 17-16. Belgreen went on a 6-0 run to start the second quarter, and Phil Campbell didn’t score a field goal for the first six minutes of the second quarter.

Belgreen led Phil Campbell 32-24 before Phil Campbell’s Daniel Smith hit a three-pointer to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to 32-27 at halftime.

Belgreen started the second half with an 8-0 run to give the Bulldogs a 40-27 lead. The Bulldogs led 43-27 at the end of the third quarter.

Phil Campbell cut Belgreen’s lead to three with 4:41 to go in the game, but the Bulldogs hit two big shots that would give them a comfortable lead for the remainder.

Mason Bragwell led Belgreen with 19 points. Mayberry added 18 points and Seth Taylor 15 points. Scott and Hiser added three points each.

Phil Campbell’s Peyton Thomas led all scorers with 21 points. Brody Nix added 10 points. Rhett Benford finished the game with six points, Nate Owens five points, Daniel Smith five points, Ben Williams one point and Joe Hardy one point.

Quarter Finals: Phil Campbell 76, Vina 30

The Phil Campbell Bobcats had no problem advancing to the semifinals of the Franklin County Tournament with an easy 76-30 win over the Vina Red Devils. The Bobcats advanced to face Belgreen in the semifinals Saturday night.

Phil Campbell raced out to a 21-9 first quarter lead and led 46-17 at halftime.

Smith and Nix led the Bobcats in scoring with 17 points and 15 points respectively. Benford and Thomas added 12 points each. Williams finished with six points, Hardy five points, Owens four points, Cody Cothum two points, Logan Hill two points and Isaac Cummings one point.

Ethan Colvin led Vina with 13 points. Timothy Newell finished with eight points, Isaac Harper with four points, Austin Harper three points and Blake Hardin two points.