Hunter’s Eli Duncan has only led the Bucs in scoring once this season, so his team high 15 points in Friday night’s 45-35 wins over White House in the Sumner County Middle School finals may have surprised everyone in attendance, everyone that is but his coach Ben Bruce.

“Eli came into this game with a pretty bad cold and was on a good bit of medicine,” said Bruce. “I knew he wasn’t feeling good, but we told him he probably had the (Michael) Jordan flu and was going to have a great game, and that’s exactly what he did.”

Ryan Hatten

Duncan was 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, and was 75 percent from the field in the game, and Nash Young added another nine points in the victory.

Weston Brinn led the Blue Devils in scoring, finishing with 15 points, and Logan Trimmer had eight points in the losing effort.

Hunter (16-1) set the tempo for the game in the first quarter when Duncan and Kody Timmons combined for 10 points to give the Bucs a 17-5 lead.

Not everything was going Hunter’s way however, as both the Bucs big men, Ryan Hatten and Mason Hickman got into foul trouble late in the first quarter and were forced to sit for the majority of the second quarter.

White House (13-4) took advantage and cut into the lead as Luke Hopkins and Brinn combined for eight points to help the Blue Devils outscore Hunter 12-10 to make it 27-17 at the halftime break.

“Our defense has a totally different look with Ryan and Mason out of the game,” said Bruce. “Even after sitting for the second quarter Ryan still blocked four shots, but he’s such a presence in the paint that even when he doesn’t get the block he still manages to alter many of the shots down there.

“Mason also does a good job down there, so when they’re both in there it really limits any team from driving in the paint for us.”

Hunter’s offensive struggles continued in the third quarter as Hatten and Hickman scored all five points, and Trimmer managed to score four points for the Blue Devils, who cut the lead to 32-25.

The Bucs put the game away at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting 11 from the charity stripe.

Brinn did all he could for White House, scoring six of its 10 fourth period points, but he got little help as the Bucs went on to the 45-35 win.

“We did pretty well from the line tonight, going 15-for-21,” said Bruce. “That was a big key to the win because if we hadn’t hit our free throws in the fourth quarter this game could’ve turned out totally different because they made some shots and had some momentum.

“This was a special team, and I’ve been doing this long enough to realize when a team has a better than average chance to win it all. I’ve had three other teams that I’ve felt that way about and two of them have won it all, and the other one was beaten in the finals. They came together at just the right time and all encouraged each other whether they were on the floor or on the bench; it was a pleasure coaching this group.”

WHITE HOUSE (35) – Weston Brinn 15, Logan Trimmer 8, Tanner Jordan 6, Luke Hopkins 6.

HUNTER (45) – Eli Duncan 15, Nash Young 9, Ryan Hatten 6, Mason Hickman 5, Kody Timmons 3, Hunter McGee 3, Sawyer Taylor 2, Dylan Gilmer 2.

From Staff Reports