PLANTERSVILLE — Dallas County’s Andre Hall finished at the basket through contact to pull the Hornets within five during the second quarter of Thursday night’s game against No. 2 Sumter Central. The Dallas County crowd was into the game and the Hornets were thinking upset.

That’s where the highlights ended for the Hornets.

After that score, Dallas County (9-13) went more than 13 minutes without a field goal as Sumter Central ran the floor and methodically stretched its lead. The Jaguars pulled away in the third quarter for a 60-43 victory.

“We came out with no intensity to start the second half,” said Dallas County coach Willie Moore. “We didn’t win the game tonight, not because of what they did, but we didn’t provide the necessary effort to beat a team like that.”

The win allowed Sumter Central to finish 6-0 in class 5A, area 6 play. The Jaguars will host the area tournament in early February, while the Hornets, Demopolis and Wilcox Central all finished in a tie for second at 2-4.

According to the Alabama High School Athletic Association rulebook, the tiebreaker should be a coin flip to decide second, third and fourth in the region.

“I still feel confident in our team that if our players do what we coach them to do, and cut the game in half, we will have a chance to beat a team like them,” Moore said.

The Hornets went on a 6-0 run to end the first quarter to cut the lead to 20-16. Henry Baker scored off a rebound to pull the Hornets within seven and then Jaydon Buford capped the run with a 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the first period.

The second quarter was just as competitive as the first, but the scoring slowed down. The Jaguars took a 27-18 lead off a 3-pointer by Jacorey Turnipseed.

Hall’s layup pulled the Hornets within 27-22 with 2:50 to play, but it was the last field goal Dallas County would make until the fourth quarter.

Turnipseed added a 3-pointer with 1:20 left in the first half to stretch the lead to 10. The Jaguars led 34-23 at the break.

Sumter Central scored the first 16 points of the second half and outscored Dallas County 20-3 in the third quarter. Sumter led 58-32 before Dallas County finished the game on an 11-2 run.

Josh Benford and Timothy Baker led Dallas County with eight points each.

All of Timothy’s points came at the free throw line. Dallas County will host Southside Tuesday.

 

Sumter Central 63, Dallas co. 29 (Girls)

For a half, Dallas County stuck with Sumter Central in each team’s class 5A, area 6 finale, but Sumter scored 26 of the game’s final 28 points to pull away.

Jamerah Smith led the Hornets with 11 points in the game.  Tynesha Jones also scored six points for Dallas County.

Dallas County trailed 32-22 at halftime and 46-24 at the end of the third quarter.