Hatton's run ends in the Final Four

Caleb Suggs, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·2 min read

Mar. 4—BIRMINGHAM — Hatton had made a living this postseason of coming back to win games. Wednesday, their luck ran out.

The Hornets fell to Lanett, 83-48, in the Final Four of the Class 2A state basketball tournament.

Hatton stayed neck and neck with the Panthers early, trailing just 15-12 early in the second quarter.

But Hornets committed 13 turnovers in the first half, which Lanett turned into 17 points and a 39-21 halftime lead.

"Turnovers killed us, and being 0-10 from the 3-point line didn't help. That's not something we're great at, but we usually make one or two," said Hatton head coach Justin Henley. "They got us playing a little faster than we wanted to after the first quarter. We struggled to make a shot, and it just kind of got away with us."

Hatton picked it up offensively in the second half but could never find a run. The Hornets cut the lead to 16 three times, but Lanett extended back to 20 each time.

"We had our opportunities. We stopped them multiple times early, but we couldn't capitalize," Henley said. "The third quarter was pretty even, but when you're down 18, you have to be able to make a run."

Hatton stars Ridge Harrison and Kris O'Dell both had strong days, finishing with 23 and 14 points, respectively.

Still, Henley says credit to the win all goes to Lanett.

"They're a very good basketball team," he said. "Their point guard is great, and their big guys are hard to score against. They're just a tough team to beat."

Hatton ends the season 18-8, winning their first area championship since 2004 and advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1999 in the process.

"I had a small part in it, but most of the credit goes to these kids," said Henley. "They just decided they were going to compete, and when you do that, you can make a run like this. I'm so proud of them and the season they had."