SOMERVILLE – In a rematch of last Saturday’s Morgan County Tournament varsity boys final, Hartselle used a strong offensive second half performance to take down Brewer 72-42 on Friday night.

Brewer’s Preston Bryant rises up for a jumper in Friday night’s game against Hartselle.

Hartselle (14-11) has now won four out of their last five contests with their only loss being a heartbreaking 74-69 setback to Athens in overtime on Monday. Just two weeks ago the Tigers had dropped five straight contests and were struggling to find their offensive rhythm.

Head coach Faron Key says his team has been working hard all year long but have not always got the results they were looking for. He says it is nice to see them rewarded at a crucial point in the season.

“We came into tonight with a lot of guys really playing well,” Key said. “It has been a struggle at times, but hopefully we are getting ready to play our best here down the stretch. After the first quarter, we just tried to keep the pace up. I think that proved to be the difference with the big runs in the second half.”

Freshman guard Brody Peebles has been one of the top scoring threats all season long for the Tigers. Night in and night out, teams have tried to take away his offense but the talented underclassman keeps finding a way to produce. Peebles knocked down four threes – one in each quarter – en route to his team-high 20 points.

“Coach Key trusts me and my teammates do a good job of helping me get open,” Peebles said. “We have been practicing pushing the ball up the floor and trying to get shots early. I think our pace wore them down in the second half.”

Trace Hill also put together a solid night with 19 points in the win. Brewer held their own early on as the score was tied 16-16 after one quarter. However, the Patriots were unable to match the Hartselle offense late in the game. Tyler Peck and Preston Bryant each finished the contest with nine points.

Justin Jefferies                        Twitter: @JJSports_HE

Hartselle Enquirer