Handley rides three-game win streak
The Handley Tigers are riding high on a three-game winning streak going into the area tournament later this week.
Handley’s streak began with a 62-42 throttling of the Lineville Aggies last week on the road.
The Tigers got off to an impressive start in the first quarter, outscoring Lineville 21-5. At halftime, Handley held a 33-14 lead.
Handley head coach Clifton Drummond said the Tigers were working with a slightly different lineup because several players were late to the game.
“Under the circumstances, we started a strange lineup,” Drummond said. “I was pleased with the way they played. They came out playing hard and competed. Our transition game was working very well, and we controlled the tempo throughout the game.”
Handley took a 48-29 lead at the end of the third quarter and cruised through the fourth quarter for the win.
Handley was led by Trae Dunson with 12 points and 8 rebounds, Trae Kyles with 12 points and 7 rebounds, Dexter Reese with 10 points and Tevin Cook with 10 rebounds.
Handley followed the win over Lineville with a victory over county rival Woodland, 73-46, in Woodland.
Handley started sluggishly, taking only a 25-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Tigers held a halftime lead of 35-24.
“We didn’t play well to be honest with you,” Drummond said. “We turned the ball over a lot and didn’t execute.”
Handley was able to overcome its lackluster play in the third quarter as the Tigers went up 56-38 going into the fourth quarter.
“I was disappointed with our effort,” Drummond said. “The score looks like we played well, but we really didn’t at all.”
Reese led the Tigers with 16 points. Semaj Nunn added 11 points, Kyles put up 10 points and 7 rebounds, Currian Whitlow contributed 9 points and Cook was good for 8 points and 15 rebounds.
Monday night, Handley came to play, though. The Tigers got revenge for an earlier loss this season with a 77-69 win over class 4A Dadeville in Roanoke.
Handley used its transition game to gain a 16-10 advantage over Dadeville at the end of the first quarter. When the halftime buzzer sounded, Handley held a 33-22 lead.
“I felt like we played well,” Drummond said. “We knew they didn’t get our best effort last time.”
Dadeville closed the gap slightly in the third quarter, with the score 51-41 in Handley’s favor going into the fourth.
The Tigers took advantage of their free-throw opportunities in the fourth quarter to keep the edge. Dunson led Handley, going 12-of-13 from the line.
“In the fourth quarter, we made our free throws,” Drummond said. “We talk about that all the time. You’ve got to make those free throws to have a chance to win.”
Dunson led the Tigers with 28 points and 6 assists while Reese added 21 points, Cook had 10 points and 9 rebounds and Kyles contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds in the win.
