Longhorns upend Sparta in region draw

LIVINGSTON — Marengo Academy (13-11) upset top-seeded Sparta Academy 56-50 Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the AISA 1A Region 2 Tournament.

The Longhorns opened the game on a 14-4 run and carried a 24-15 lead into the half before Sparta mounted its comeback in the third quarter.

Sparta took its first lead of the game with 6:41 to play when Drew Hardin knocked down a shot off a steal to put the Warriors up 39-38. Marengo Academy’s Cason Cook did not allow the deficit to stand for long as he answered with a field goal of his own on the ensuing possession.

Cook, who sat most of the third quarter in foul trouble, made his presence felt in the third as his nine-point quarter helped the Longhorns to overcome its brief disadvantage and stretch its lead back to 46-41 with 4:59 to play.

Marengo would miss free throws down the stretch, going 8-for-16 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter. The blown opportunities allowed Sparta to close it to 54-50 in the game’s final minute with a 9-1 run in a span of 20 seconds.

Sparta failed to capitalize on its opportunities off the missed Longhorn free throws as Hayden Huckabee snagged the game’s final rebound to seal the win.

Marengo out-rebounded Sparta 49-28 in the contest to help fuel the victory. Leading the charge for MA was Cook, who finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Huckabee added 17 points and eight rebounds. Shade Pritchett finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Anthony Antonelli and Carson Huckabee rounded out the scoring with four points each as Marengo got no points from its bench in the effort.

Hardin led Sparta with 19 points. Taylor Chaver finished with seven points while Zane Lambert scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter to go along with seven steals.

Marengo advances to the region championship game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Pruitt Gymnasium on the campus of the University of West Alabama.