HANCEVILLE — In the lead-up to Tuesday’s game against two-time defending state champ Pickens County, Darin Liles intimated that it would take a perfect game from his R.A. Hubbard team to pull off the upset.

Liles was correct in his assumption. Top-ranked Pickens County used a 20-0 run in the first quarter to wipe out an early five-point deficit on the way to an 88-46 victory in Tom Drake Coliseum on the Wallace State-Hanceville Community College campus.

“They beat us every way they could,” Liles

said. “Whoever beats them is going to have to bring it.”

The Tornadoes (26-5), who won the Class 2A title in 2010 and the Class 1A title a year ago, used a swarming press to force Hubbard (22-5) into 27 turnovers. The Tornadoes converted those miscues into 33 points while only turning the ball over nine times.

“They are really good and athletic,” said guard Floyd Jones, who played his last game for the Chiefs. “We tried our best. They and Tanner are the best we’ve played as far as pressure.”

Liles said the advantage Pickens County

has on defense is not its quickness, but its length.

“They are so long and big at guard,” Liles said. “You can’t see passing angles and they deflect a lot of passes.”

Pickens County also converted 27 offensive rebounds into 22 points.

“We just want to keep pounding the boards,” Pickens County’s Nick Stewart said.

“I like for all five of our guys to crash the boards,” coach Patrick Plott said.

With two baskets from Eddirick Harris and one by Paul Mason, the Chiefs broke on top 6-1 less than two minutes into the game. When Pickens County went on a 20-0 run midway through the quarter that resulted in a 29-8 lead, Hubbard’s fate was sealed.

Liles said he didn’t consider calling a time-out in an attempt to stem the tide.

“Time-outs ought to be illegal,” he said. “What was I going to tell them — don’t throw the ball away? We knew it would take a perfect game to win.”

Pickens County built the lead to 51-27 at the half and extended it to 78-36 after three quarters.

“I felt like if we could play defense we had a good chance to win,” Plott said. “We can score with anybody.”

Stewart scored 21 points to lead Pickens County. De’Marko Hall added 15 and Warren Bates scored 14.

Mason had nine to lead Hubbard and Harris and Jones scored eight each.

Liles took the loss in stride.

“I’d rather be 0-1 at the regional than 0-0,” he said.

Contact Gregg Dewalt at 256-740-5748 or gregg.dewalt@TimesDAily.com.