Russellville varsity basketball teams celebrate Senior Night with sweep of Haleyville

The Russellville High School varsity girls’ and boys’ basketball teams grabbed a pair of Senior Night wins over Haleyville High School on Thursday night. The RHS girls picked up a 61-40 victory over the Lady Lions and the RHS boys earned a 56-41 win.

In the first varsity game of the evening, Haleyville’s girls were able to hang around until halftime, but the Lady Golden Tigers used a big third quarter performance to pull away from the visitors in the second half.

Up 30-22 at the break, Russellville outscored the Lady Lions 25-6 in the third period to take a commanding 27-point advantage into the final eight minutes. From there, the Lady Golden Tigers were able to cruise to a 21-point win.

Junior Ella Copeland, who is averaging 25 points per game, once again led the Lady Golden Tigers in scoring with 18. Angeleah Smith also hit double figures for RHS, dropping 12 points. Senior Laila Hill added eight points on Senior Night.

Hill, the lone senior on the RHS girls’ basketball squad, was recognized for her contributions to the program during the Senior Night presentation. Her head coach, Jermaine Groce, had high praise for her.

“Laila Hill has been part of our program since the seventh grade, and her growth over the years has been outstanding,” RHS head coach Jermaine Groce said. "She is a relentless worker in the classroom and on the court, and her offensive rebounding has consistently set the tone for our team. Defensively, she has taken a major step forward, becoming a physical presence inside who controls the boards, plays with toughness, and affects the shots of anyone attacking the paint. On the back end of our press, her ability to read the floor, anticipate passing lanes, and create steals has been a game-changer.

"Laila competes at a high level, rebounds with purpose, and brings a toughness that impacts every possession. She is a tremendous player and an absolute joy to coach," Groce added.

The victory improved the Lady Golden Tigers’ record to 14-11.

In boys basketball action to cap the night, the Golden Tigers pounced on the Lions to win by 15 points. That result gave Russellville the season sweep of Haleyville; RHS previously defeated HHS 61-45 back on January 12.

The win improved the Golden Tigers’ record to 5-17 for the campaign.

Four Russellville boys’ team seniors were also recognized for their efforts throughout their careers. Their head coach, Patrick Odom, said his four seniors this year—Malaki Groce, Parker Odom, Gavin McDaniel, and Shawn Taylor—have never wavered in their dedication and commitment to the team.

“These four seniors have been a great group with high character and I’m very proud of them,” Odom said. “They come in every day and work hard and have provided great leadership. Even though these guys have been through adversity this season, they continue to come in and work hard and it’s because of the leadership of the four seniors.”