With the season on the line, Good Hope coach Drew Adams knew he could trust his guys in crunch time.
And they didn’t let him down.
The Raiders rewarded that confidence with critical plays down the stretch on Saturday night, outlasting Randolph 62-57 in a sub-regional clash to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2020.
Tucker Malin secured a team-high 24 points (22 in the second half) and Kmal Bell added 22 for Good Hope, which improved to 20-10 overall and will play in the Northwest Regional Tournament at Wallace State next week.
“I had flashbacks to 2019 and 2020 in this game,” Adams said. “We got down 12-0 both times at DAR … we didn’t win the first game, but we did the second. There was a comfort and a trust factor with the 2020 team — and I trust these guys, too. You have to earn that and they have. I thought we’d be resilient enough to battle back.
“I try not to make too big a deal out of these things, but we’ve had some good teams at Good Hope and have only been here (Sweet 16) once. I’m sure I’ll be nervous next week, but I couldn’t be any happier right now.”
Good Hope fell behind 15-5 early but steadily fought back and trailed just 26-23 at intermission.
The second half turned into a prizefight, with each team trading heavy blows in the form of scoring runs and momentum shifts. And although the Raiders eventually built a 48-40 advantage in the fourth quarter following a Bell 3-pointer, Randolph answered with a clutch counterpunch of its own to jump in front 57-55 late in the contest.
But the Red and White didn’t flinch.
Malin made a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key to put his team back ahead and Tyler Cone followed with a steal that led to a Bell basket in the paint and a 60-57 advantage. After a huge defensive stop, Good Hope eventually stretched its lead to five points following a pair of free throws by Bell — and the home team could get no closer as the buzzer sounded shortly afterward.
“We have guys who do what they’re going to do,” Adams said. “Tucker Malin pulling up from 25 feet and hitting that 3 — that’s Tucker Malin. Tyler Cone getting a steal — that’s Tyler Cone. Kmal Bell getting a big bucket — that’s Kmal Bell. In games like this, you’ve got to be what your identity is. I didn’t feel like we got away from that all night. We stayed in it and did what we had to do.”
Jacob Haynes and Weston Hancock each added six points, while Cone and Dakota Overton secured two.
Good Hope will now face Deshler, which defeated Hamilton, in the Sweet 16.
See more local roundup below.
Varsity Boys
Class 1A
Shoals Christian 84 — Addison 59
Class 2A
Mars Hill 67 — Holly Pond 28
Kollin Brown: 20 points
Class 3A
Piedmont 56 — Vinemont 43
Isaiah Jones: 12 points
Jaxon Holcomb: 9 points
Jeremy Harbison: 7 points
Jordan Eller: 7 points
Kaden Graham: 6 points
*Vinemont finishes season 14-12
Class 6A
Cullman 70 — Lee-Huntsville 58
Sam Duskin: 31 points, 15 rebounds
Jake Dorough: 10 points
Brodie Banister: 7 points
Gray Hopper: 6 points
Colton Echols: 5 points
Kase Nixon: 5 points
*Cullman (22-8) advances to Northwest Regional
Varsity Girls
Class 2A
Mars Hill Bible 57 — Holly Pond 41
Ava Thomas: 14 points
Madison Butts: 10 points
*Holly Pond finishes season 13-11