Friday night shootout

By Staff
Russellville beats Pats 75-64 to advance
Kim West
The No. 2 Russellville boys defeated a scrappy Brewer team 75-64 Friday in the Class 5A sub-regionals to earn a trip to the Northwest Regional tournament in Hanceville as Cory Trapp poured in 30 points on 7-of-19 shooting from 3-point range.
Trapp struggled through a cold-shooting first quarter but the senior sharpshooter didn't stay that way for long. Brewer built a 23-12 lead midway through the second quarter with a 12-0 spurt but Russellville responded with a 20-12 run sparked by a Siran Winston feed to Trapp, who came off a screen to bury a trey from the left wing, and the Golden Tigers only trailed 34-32 at halftime after Winston grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a reverse layup and then converted a 3-point play.
In the first half Brewer shot a blistering 50 percent (8-of-16) from 3-point range in the first half, while Russellville hit only 4-of-13 in the first and 4-of-16 in the second.
The lead switched hands three times in the third quarter before Brewer tied the game at 43 on a 3-point play by Houston Lanford with 3:30 remaining.
With a Patriots defender draped all over him, Trapp drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Russellville ahead for good with 3:25 left in the third. The Golden Tigers reeled off a 12-3 run to close the third quarter and opened the final period with a 55-46 lead.
In the fourth Brewer couldn't get closer than eight points as Trapp nailed a step-back 3-pointer and came off a baseline screen to drop one in from the corner and equalize two treys from the Patriots in the first three minutes of the quarter. Russellville went to the line eight times in the remaining three minutes as Brewer scored only one field goal during that span.
Winston finished with 17 points, while Jermaine Bates had 10 and Nate Dunstan added eight, all in the second half, for Russellville (29-0).
Kohl Bowler and Darrius Campbell led Brewer (19-11) with 14 points apiece, while Cody Landford had 12 and Houston Lanford added 11.
Russellville will play Wenonah at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Northwest Regional tournament at Wallace State in Hanceville.
If Russellville wins, the Golden Tigers will advance to the regional finals Saturday, and could face Muscle Shoals for the fifth time this season. The regional winner will play in the Final Four at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Thursday, Feb. 27-28. The Class 5A championship game will be held 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at the BJCC.
Girls
Brewer 73
Russellville 43
DECATUR – No. 7 Brewer eliminated Russellville 73-43 in the Class 5A girls sub-regionals Thursday.
The Lady Patriots (27-2) led 34-17 at halftime as Kendra Jones finished with a game-high 28 points.
Tasha West scored 14 of her team-high 26 points in the first half, while Victoria Taylor finished with nine for Russellville (8-18). Taylor, along with JaLesa Hamilton, were the only seniors on a young Russellville team that started two sophomores and a freshman much of the season.
Erin Reynolds, Janarie Donley, Amber Elliott and Ayanna McCullough each scored two for Lady Golden Tigers (8-19), while Meagan Hormel scored 11 for Brewer.