Demopolis downs Benjamin Russell to win Cornerstone tourney

BIRMINGHAM — Demopolis downed Class 6A Benjamin Russell 73-70 Wednesday afternoon to win the Cornerstone Thanksgiving Classic.

The Tigers won the game with a 25-18 run in the fourth quarter that was keyed by tremendous shooting at the free throw line.

“In the fourth quarter, we just attacked more and we finished at the rim. I thought we were the more aggressive,” Demopolis coach Rodney Jackson said. “We ended up just attacking more and got fouled, went to the free throw line and we knocked them down.”

Demopolis hit 15 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter to cap a game in which it shot 32-for-39 from the charity stripe.

“We have a few guys that go up there with confidence and they knock it down. I think it gets contagious and then everybody wants to knock them down,” Jackson said.

The Tigers led 14-9 after one quarter of play and carried a 29-26 lead into the locker room at half. Benjamin Russell used a 26-19 run to carry a 52-48 lead into the game’s fourth quarter.

“I think we were more focused. We did a lot of film study and we performed. Everybody played their role and they played hard,” Jackson said.

The win moves Demopolis to 3-1 on the season and culminates a three-game tournament stretch in which the Tigers connected on 59 of 77 free throw attempts.

“It is huge because now they’re starting to believe in the system. They’re starting to believe in each other. They’re starting to believe in themselves. When those three things come together, you’re going to have a pretty good team,” Jackson said. “To come back to Demopolis 3-1, that’s pretty awesome. That’s a great thing.”

Josh Moore led the Tigers with 25 points to go along with nine rebounds and four blocks. Moore buoyed his scoring effort with a 13-of-14 night at the free throw line. The former John Essex standout finished the tournament with 57 points in three games and took home All-Tournament and Most Valuable Player honors.

Demetrius Smith and Xavier Jowers each finished with 11 points. Charles Tripp had eight points to go along with nine rebounds and four blocks.

Tripp tallied 43 points over three games and earned All-Tournament honors