AUGUSTA – Regular-season results afforded Hall-Dale the Mountain Valley Conference boys’ basketball championship and No. 1 seed in the Western Class C tournament.

In Georges Valley’s economy, that and seven bucks will buy you a seat for the championship game. The fourth-seeded Buccaneers blasted the Bulldogs 65-34 Thursday night in the semifinals at Augusta Civic Center.

Brett Hutchinson scored 29 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Buccaneers, who out-rebounded the Bulldogs by more than a two-to-one margin.

Ryan Holbrook chipped in 10 points and Mark Chamberlin added nine. A.J. Staples amassed seven points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

For the second time in three years, Georges Valley (14-6) will battle MVC rival Jay for the Western C championship at 8:45 p.m. Saturday. In the 2002 final, Jay knocked off Georges Valley in overtime and went on to win the state crown.

Georges Valley never trailed, christening the game with six unanswered points and storming to a 14-5 lead at the end of one.

The Buccaneers lured Matt Wheelock, Hall-Dale’s 6-foot-8 center, into two early fouls. Led by Hutchinson and Staples, Georges Valley ruled the

glass for the remainder of the half.

Hall-Dale (17-3) went more than six minutes without a field goal in a stretch connecting the first and second quarters, and no Bulldog scored more than three points in the half.

Hutchinson, however, had 14, including eight in the final 3:39 before the break. When he converted an offensive rebound but failed to drain the free throw for the traditional 3-point play, Holbrook corraled the rebound and dropped a lay-up with 14 seconds left to give Georges Valley a 32-16 halftime cushion.

In the third, Wheelock (10 points, four boards) scored three quick buckets on short jumpers from the baseline to keep the Bulldogs alive. He picked up his third and fourth fouls on the offensive end in a span of 63 seconds shortly thereafter, though, and the Bulldogs’ night effectively was over.

koakes@sunjournal.com

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