Ragland advanced to the finals by beating Coosa Christian 54-50.
Ragland 54, Coosa Christian 50
Although they trailed the Coosa throughout the second and third quarter, Ragland won the scoring battle when it counted the most — in the fourth quarter. They outscored the Conquerors 20-13 in the final 8 minutes of play to win the game 54-50 and advance to the area title game.
The Purple Devils were on top 16-12 after the first quarter but trailed at the half 27-23.
By the time the third quarter ended, Coosa was still on top 37-34 before Ragland took control in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
Jimmy Brock had a double-double to lead Ragland as he scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He also had 7 steals. Devin Wilson pumped in 10 points while John Arnold added 9 points. Colton Echols and Karson Winn scored 6 points each while Bradley Barber totaled 5 points and pulled down 5 boards.
“In the three games we’ve played against Coosa Christian, they have all been close,” Ragland coach Andy Eden said. “Overall, we played well in the first quarter and the last part of the fourth quarter. I was very proud of the way we fought from behind to win the game to extend our season.”
With the win, Ragland improved to 10-12 on the season.
Gaston 41, Ragland 35
Ragland fell behind early and was not able to catch up, losing to Gaston 41-35.
Ragland trailed 15-9 after one quarter, 25-14 at halftime and 32-18 after three quarters of play. The final score was 41-35.
Brock led Ragland with 13 points and 3 steals while Wilson added 11 points. Echols netted 4 points and led the team in rebounds with 7. All three Ragland players made the All-Tournament Team.
Eden said he was proud of the defense once they went man-to-man.
“It was probably our worst offensive performance of the season,” Eden said. “In the end, Gaston made the plays to win the game.”
Ragland, 10-13, on the season, travels to Faith Christian Friday for sub-regional action. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Contact Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com.
