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December 15, 2009

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL: The difference-maker

Aycock scores game-high 25, leads Raiders past Vinemont

By Justin Graves The Cullman Times

VINEMONT — David Hulsey has no worries when the game is in Kyle Aycock’s hands.

Just put the ball in Aycock’s hands and watch him go. The Good Hope High point guard is what Hulsey would call a “difference-maker.”

Hulsey knows this from first-hand experience. He watches Aycock work his magic every night from the best seat in the house: the coach’s box.

“That guy is a beast,” said Hulsey, whose Raiders defeated Class 3A, Area 12 rival Vinemont 62-54 Tuesday night. “Not only can he score, but he’s pretty much automatic from the free-throw line. And if he has the ball in his hands, he’s gonna whatever we need him to do. That’s exactly what you want out of your point guard.”

Aycock didn’t let his coach down during the Vinemont (5-7) game. The Good Hope (10-4) junior showed why he has earned Hulsey’s confidence.

With Good Hope leading by one early in the third quarter, Aycock started to take over the game. From his point guard position, the Raiders’ junior helped spark a 6-1 run that ended with a putback by senior forward Taylor Hollis.

And then Aycock started to pile up some points himself, scoring 11 of his game-high 25 points in the next 12 minutes of regulation.

After outscoring Vinemont 15-9 in the third quarter, Good Hope extended its lead to 15 when Aycock nailed a basket early in the fourth.

The Raiders needed every bit of that cushion.

Cory Meyer and Brock Meherg made a couple of 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter, and Vinemont made one last push at the lead.

Vinemont went on a 9-4 run in the final two minutes of regulation. Afer Meherg made a 3-pointer, the Eagles were able to trim the deficit to six with a field goal from Bagley.

But it was too little, too late. Good Hope made its final four attempts from the foul line to preserve the win.

“In games like this, we’re playing to win,” Hulsey said. “It may have gotten tight there at the end, but I’ll take it.”

Following Aycock’s 25 points, Hollis added 13 for the Raiders while Cameron Aycock tossed in nine.

Meherg paced Vinemont with 18 points and Anthony Pace followed with nine.

With the win, Good Hope has completed the first half of its Area 12 schedule unbeaten. And the Raiders won all three games — against Hanceville, Vinemont and J.B. Pennington — on the road.

But that doesn’t mean Hulsey is ready to tab his team the area frontrunner.

“There’s still too much basketball left to be played,” he said. “We’ve got to play everyone in the area one more time, so we’ve still got a lot of work to do … a whole lot of work to do.”

• Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.

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