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December 17, 2009

EAGLES RALLY ON ROAD

Aby drains late 3-pointer, seals comeback win for Cold Springs

By Justin Graves The Cullman Times

FAIRVIEW — Tim Burleson was caught off-guard by the question:

How many 3-pointers did Justin Aby finish with?

“I’m not sure. I just remember one,” the Cold Springs High boys basketball coach said following his team’s 48-45 win at Fairview Thursday night.

Kind of hard to forget that one, huh coach? It was easily the biggest shot of the night.

Trailing by two with 14.5 seconds remaining in the game, Aby nailed a 3-pointer to permanently give ninth-ranked (2A) Cold Springs the lead.

“That’s who we wanted to take the shot,” Burleson said. “In a situation like that, I’m pretty comfortable when the ball is in his hands.”

Aby’s late 3-pointer wasn’t unexpected. After Nathan Ring made a layup to give Fairview a 45-43 lead with 21 seconds remaining in the game, Aggies coach Greg Boatright used a timeout to remind his players about the Cold Springs sharp-shooter.

The warning didn’t matter. Aby still found a way to get an open look, and he took advantage of it with his fifth 3-pointer of the game.

Getting to that final shot wasn’t easy for Cold Springs. The Eagles trailed by nine at the end of the third quarter and needed an 11-2 run in the fourth to tie the score.

“We just kept chipping and chipping until we finally tied the score back up,” Burleson said. “We just found a way.”

Cold Springs built a 19-18 lead in the first quarter, but Fairview outscored the Eagles 16-14 in the second to carry a one-point lead into halftime.

And then the game’s pace slowed down.

Fairview held Cold Springs to just one offensive field goal in the third quarter, using a 9-2 run to extend the lead to 43-35.

But in the fourth quarter, it was the Aggies who struggled from the field. Ring’s layup with 21 seconds remaining in the game gave Fairview its only points in the fourth quarter.

Aby led all scorers with 23 points while Chayse Elliott added 10. Nick Blanks tossed in six for the Eagles.

Ring paced Fairview with 16 points and Trett Hardman scored 11. Dex Sullivan and Ryan Parker added six points each for the Aggies.

Fairview travels to Vinemont tonight, while Cold Springs hosts Good Hope.

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

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