Hampton is headed back to the ‘Boro.
For the first time since the 2023 State Championship, the Bulldogs punched their ticket with a thrilling 54-49 victory over Oneida in the Class A Sectional in front of a packed house in Hampton Monday night. The Bulldogs are set to open the program’s 17th appearance in Murfreesboro on Thursday.
After Chase Davenport opened the scoring with a quick jumper, points were hard to come by the rest of the quarter. Oneida scored the next four points before Colby Clark hit a lay-up off a Talon Creed pass with 3:34 left in the first. The Indians regained the lead 40 seconds later and took a 6-4 lead into the second quarter.
Oneida opened the second quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 16-6 lead with just over three minutes to play. Clark stopped the run with a jumper, and that sparked an 11-0 Hampton run that saw the Bulldogs take a 17-16 lead with 1:19 left in the half. The Indians countered on the other end before Tuff Robinson hit a shot with six seconds left.
Oneida, however, went the distance and took a 20-19 lead on a shot at the buzzer.
The second half felt like a heavyweight title fight.
Bryce Fagan and Davenport combined for an 8-0 Hampton run as regained the lead early in the second. The teams traded shots before Jackson Smith and Davenport ended the quarter with back-to-back shots to lift Hampton to a 37-29 lead after three complete quarters.
Oneida battled back over the first four minutes of the fourth with an 11-3 run to tie the game at 40-40. Fagan broke the stalemate as Robinson and Clark hit shots to lift Hampton to a 46-42 lead. Oneida trimmed the lead to one point in the closing seconds, but Hampton was able to secure the win.
Davenport led Hampton with 15 points. Fagan and Robinson had 12 points apiece, and Clark had 11 points.
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Photos and story by Matt Laws/Carter County Sports.
