Corner had its chance.
Down by two points to Hueytown in the waning seconds, the Yellow Jackets were driving down court with a chance to tie or win the game.
But an errant dribble went off a Corner player’s foot, right in front of Coach Billy Conner, and Golden Gophers guard Cam Broadnax picked it up and went the other way.
That turnover decided the outcome, as the Gophers prevailed 59-56 to win the small-school championship game of the Jefferson County Boys Basketball Tournament at Gardendale on Friday.
The defeat for the Jackets came after a close loss to Hayden the night before in a game rescheduled from the previous week; it was the Jackets’ fourth game in five days.
“I think fatigue was some of it, not really from playing this week to the way Hueytown pressured the whole game,” Conner said. “We made 17 turnovers in the first half, then we missed free throws when it was tied — two shots, and the front end of a one-and-one, and then didn’t box out on two of their free throws. That was a seven-point swing.”
Blake Byrd led all scorers with 27 points, and Austin Sanford chipped in 17 for Corner (13-9), who lost just their second game in their last 11. Byrd and Sanford were named to the all-tournament team.
Broadnax, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored 17 for Hueytown.
Corner 58, Oak Grove 56: In a semifinal game Thursday, Kyle Moody sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to play.
Sanford paced the Jackets with 20 points, Byrd scored 14 and Moody had 11. Griff Garner had 18 points for the Tigers.
Mortimer Jordan 60, Fultondale 54: In Tuesday’s consolation final, Mark Louis scored 24 points — 12 of them in a second-quarter burst — to lead the Blue Devils.
Ben Hardiman scored 12 for Jordan. Travez Hicks scored 15 points, Deundrea Marshall 13 and ArDarius Stewart added 12; Stewart was also named to the all-tournament team.
Pleasant Grove 40, Gardendale 34: In Tuesday’s large-school consolation semifinal, the host Rockets and the Spartans both struggled throughout the contest, but Victor Barnes led Pleasant Grove down the stretch to the win to knock Gardendale out of the tournament.
Barnes and KeJuan James each scored 14 for the Spartans. Trey Evans and Juan Jackson had seven each for Gardendale (9-12).
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Corner guard Kyle Moody defends a Hueytown shooter during the small-school championship game of the Jefferson County Boys Basketball Tournament Friday night.
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Yellow Jackets come up short in JeffCo Tournament small-school title game
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