By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Junior forward Matt Huffman scored a career-high 30 points and helped give Western Alamance’s boys’ basketball team a much-coveted 59-54 victory against visiting Williams on Tuesday night.
“We hadn’t beaten them (since I’ve been here),” senior guard Hamilton Plunkett said. “I knew this was our last shot.”
Western had dropped seven straight meetings with the Bulldogs since last winning five years ago this week, though they didn’t meet in the pandemic-adjusted 2021 season. It was the Warriors’ fifth victory in the last 20 meetings.
The Central 3-A Conference game was tied at 48-48 when Huffman dunked, with a flopping infraction on Williams resulting in a technical foul. Plunkett sank two free throws and then drilled a corner 3-pointer for Western’s quick 7-0 run.
The Bulldogs battled back, missing a potential tying 3-pointer with less than 20 seconds left. Western’s James Newton, who was in foul trouble for most of the game, made two free throws with 13.9 seconds remaining as the Warriors avenged last month’s 60-57 loss.
Huffman, whose previous high point total was 18, also had 15 rebounds. Plunkett added 10 points.
“We had a tough loss against them last time,” Huffman said. “I was ready, fired up, everything.”
Western coach Ryan Suttles said: “Matt played the way we know he can. We always knew he was capable.”
Colby Elliot led Williams with 19 points.
That’s two straight league triumphs for the Warriors, who won 76-49 last Wednesday vs. visiting Southern Alamance.
- Eastern Alamance’s winning streak reached four games with Tuesday night’s 84-47 victory at Cedar Ridge.
The Eagles edged visiting Williams 70-68 on Friday night with Ja’vier Tinnin’s 20 points and Hunter Eichman’s 16 points the top marks. Elliot had 23 points and Cavion Stokes scored 18 for Williams.
Eastern has a showdown Friday night at home vs. Roxboro Person, which has won six straight. Those results included last Wednesday’s 58-54 escape at Williams and Friday night’s 75-39 socking of visiting Southern Alamance.
- Southeast Alamance won 63-45 at Western in Saturday afternoon’s non-league game behind 13 points from James Kenan and 12 points from Donnie Fairley. Plunkett and Newton each had nine points for Western, which shot 31 percent from the field.
Then Southeast defeated visiting Bartlett Yancey 52-39 in Tuesday night’s Mid-Carolina Conference game for its third straight victory.
- Graham lost to Mid-Carolina Conference leader Northwood by 84-28 at home Tuesday. Meanwhile, Cummings dropped a 63-58 home decision to second-place Chatham Central. On Monday, Graham fell 63-32 at Jordan-Matthews.
