By RICKEY CLARDY ~ Sports Writer
UNIONVILLE — The Community Vikings used two 8-0 second quarter runs to break out of a tie game and went on to defeat the Huntland Hornets 71-40 in a basketball contest Tuesday night.
Ten Vikings scored as the Vikings steadily increased their lead while holding the Hornets to single digits in the final three quarters.
"You can't complain about that," Coach Steve Simmons of the Vikings said. "The second half was better rebounding-wise and to hold them to single digits for the final three quarters was pretty good."
Stratton Lovvorn and Maki Fleming each scored six points in the opening quarter for Community (2-3), but the Hornets stayed close.
Huntland took its biggest lead at 10-5 and led 15-11 before the Vikings scored the final five points to take a 16-15 lead to the second quarter.
The Hornets tied the game at 19-19 with 5:29 remaining in the quarter before the Vikings, namely Lovvorn and Corey Paterick, got hot.
Paterick drilled three treys and Lovvorn had seven points as Community jumped out to a 35-20 advantage with 1:24 left.
A late Huntland 3-pointer left the Vikings with a 35-23 lead heading to the intermission.
With Cole Crockett and Noah Newkirk leading the way with five points each in the third quarter, the Vikings had six players tally points in the quarter. Community netted 17 consecutive points as the Vikings led 54-28 with 2:07 remaining. The Vikings led 56-32 with one quarter to play.
Reserves saw plenty of time for Community in the fourth quarter as the Vikings outscored the Hornets 15-8 en route to the victory.
Lovvorn scored 15 points to lead three Vikings in double figures. Fleming and Paterick added 12 points each.
Braylen Phillips led Huntland with 20 points.
The Vikings were 8-of-13 at the foul line while the Hornets were 4-of-10.
"That was an emphasis in practice that we would run our offense, and whoever has the good shot, they needed to be the one to step up and knock down the shot," Simmons said.
Simmons was pleased with how some underclassmen helped the Vikings at a crucial time.
"I thought early in the third quarter, we had a couple of freshmen on the floor that made some tips and we got some easy baskets that really got us going," Simmons said.
Community entertains Central Magnet for a 7:30 p.m. game Thursday night.
Huntland 15 8 9 8 — 40
Community 16 19 21 15 — 71
Huntland: Braylen Phillips 20, Noah Thompson 8, Trace Kilpatrick 3, Cade Limbaugh 2, DJ Ford, Brody Maxwell 3, Demetri Reed 2, Alex Meyerring 2, Jarren Kinslow, Kannon Lafevers, Ethan Sons.Community: Stratton Lovvorn 15, Maki Fleming 12, Cole Crockett 5, Jacob Flannagan 5, Trace Broiles, Corey Paterick 12, Noah Newkirk 9, Jason Cullum 4, Ramon Hernandez 4, Gunnar McGowan 3, Landon Lovvorn 2, Dallas Grooms, Sawyer Fults.3-Point goals: Huntland (6): Phillips 5, Maxwell; Community (7): Paterick 4, S. Lovvorn, Fleming, Crockett. Halftime score: Community 35, Huntland 23.
