Late free throws seal 60-56 victory for Lady Airedales

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools

Alma went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line over the final 3 ½ minutes of Tuesday’s 5A-West opener with Russellville.

They needed every one of them, too.

Breella Hughes was 4-for-4 over that span, and Madie House and Collins Driscoll each made two foul shots to lock up a 60-56 Alma victory over Russellville.

The Airedales (9-8, 1-0) host Farmington this Friday.

Brooklynn Holt scored a game-high 19 points to power the Lady Airedales. Olivia Hughes finished with 12 points, while Driscoll and Breella Hughes had 11 and 10, respectively.

Breella Hughes was 6-for-7 from the foul line.

House finished with eight points off the bench.

Alma led 13-5 late in the first quarter but eventually fell behind, 28-25, late in the first half before scoring the final five points of the first half. A layup by House extended the lead to 52-43 with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter before Russellville closed to within three. Breella Hughes sank two foul shots to make it 54-49, and after the Cyclones got to within two (58-56) with 45.2 left, two more Hughes foul shots secured the win.

Alma 80, Russellville 65

BOYS - Alma played its most complete half of basketball Tuesday night at Russellville.

By the time the Cyclones’ Caleb Campbell and Zaden Wiliams were able to make some shots, it was too late.

Alma raced out to a 21-6 lead and a 28-14 first-quarter lead before coasting to an 80-65 win over Russellville in Tuesday’s 5A-West opener. The Airedales have beaten the Cyclones five straight times.

Shep Newcomb and Lawson Adams finished with 20 points each, while Carson Curd hit five of Alma’s 10 3-pointers and finished with 19. Defensive stopper Drake Ciampoli even got into the flow with swishing a career-high three 3-pointers.

Alma twice led by as many as 29 points before being outscored 38-29 over the final 16 minutes.

Campbell led the Cyclones (8-9, 0-1) with a game-high 21 points. Williams, who entered the game averaging 22.2 points per game, finished with 18, with five of those coming in garbage time.

Alma (JH) 46, Ozark 34

BOYS - Nate Risley and Jake Johnson combined for 26 points to help power the Alma junior boys to a 46-34 win over Ozark Monday.

Risley led the Airedales (9-4) with 15 points. Johnson added 11, including two fourth-quarter buckets, to put the game out of reach.

Barrett Curd and Aiden Kimes finished with five points each, and Braxton Roberts and Aiden Caldwell tossed in four apiece.

Colten Ritchey finished with two points.

Alma (JH) 48, Ozark 19

GIRLS - Hallie Morris scored 18 points, and the Lady Airedales’ junior girls bolted in front of Ozark, 16-0, before cruising to a 48-19 victory Monday.

Eden Hamilton finished with eight points, while Chloee Hatman and Harper Workman finished with seven apiece.

Bristol Welch added four points, and Bryleigh Moore and Braelyn Holmes had two points each.

Alma (8th) 44, Ozark 30

BOYS - Colten Ritchey hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points to power Alma’s eighth-grade boys basketball team to a resounding 46-24 win over Ozark Monday.

The balanced Airedales also got seven points from Landen Quinalty and six from Boston Parnell. David Gillingham had five, and Carter Meredith and Jude Walker finished with four points each.