R.C. Hatch boys fall in 2A title game
Published 9:55 pm Friday, March 3, 2017
It wasn’t meant to be for R.C. Hatch (24-3) Friday in Birmingham in the class 2A boys state championship game. The Bobcats were within four late in the game, but Lanett (24-7) finished the game on a 10-0 run for a 54-40 victory.
Emanuel Littles and Jalen Madden got loose for layups with just over two minutes to play as Lanett started to pull away. Hatch had no answer after staying within a couple of shots the whole game.
Anqueavious Pollard was named the 2A tournament MVP with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Littles also posted a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds for Lanett. Those two players ended up outrebounding Hatch by themselves — 26 to 25 — and it played a big role in how the game would turn out.
The Bobcats were outrebounded 45-25 and could only turn 21 Lanett turnovers into 12 points. Lanett had 21 second chance points, while Hatch only had four. Tyler Rhone was the only player for R.C. Hatch in double figures with 12 points. He and teammate Jalen Lockett were both named to the 2A all-tournament team. Hatch trailed 35-33 to begin the fourth quarter but made just 3-of-14 attempts in the fourth.