As the regular season for basketball teams across the state begins to wind down, the intensity of conference matches begins to heat up. Tuesday night was no different for Elizabethton, who traveled to take on the Unicoi County Blue Devils in their penultimate district game.
It was a couple of thrilling matchups for both the girls and the boys squads, as the Lady Cyclones dismantled Unicoi County 60-36, and the Cyclones fell just short in the closing minutes by a final of 70-60
In the first varsity contest of the evening, the Lady Cyclones came out of the gate running, with everyone getting in on the scoring action en route to their 17 points through the first 8 minutes. But Unicoi County was not far behind, trying to keep pace and putting up 12.
The second period saw more of the same, with the Lady Blue Devils trailing close behind Elizabethton. At the break, the Lady Cyclones held their advantage, 32-23.
However, the tide would turn quickly to start the second half, as the Lady Cyclones showcased their scoring prowess and outscored Unicoi County 13-5.
From that point, there was no looking back as Elizabethton would add on 15 more to finish the game, defeating their conference foe by a final of 60-36.
In the win, both
Peyton McGee and
Jamira Smalls led the team in the points category, each scoring 12.
Kayelyn Nave contributed with 8, while
Reagan May and
Adrian Heading each added 7,
With this win, the Lady Cyclones have locked themselves into the district tournament. Their next contest will be Friday night at home against Tennessee High, a game that will determine whether Elizabethton will be the two or three seed heading into the district postseason.
The final game of the evening was one that was tightly contested throughout, with Unicoi County jumping out to an early lead but seeing their advantage diminish to one point through the first. Through one quarter, Elizabethton trailed 13-12.
Early in the second frame, the Cyclones would jump ahead and overtake the Blue Devils. But Unicoi County was able to storm back, holding a 31-26 advantage at halftime.
However, an 11-3 run by the Blue Devils to start the second half of play would shift the momentum in a big way. Elizabethton did begin to chip away though, trailing 46-34 with eight minutes left.
The Cyclones would continue to work their way back in the fourth, but were unable to take the lead, falling by a score of 70-60.
In the effort,
Hudson Pate led all scorers with 28 points including three triples.
Zack Wallin would add 11, while
Andrew Barnett nailed three of his four long range attempts, totaling 9 points.
The Cyclones will be back in action on Friday night at home against Tennessee High, a game with major postseason implications. The Cyclones control their own destiny, with a win locking them into the two seed for the district tournament. However, if the Cyclones fall to the Vikings Friday, they will need the help of Sullivan East to stay out of the tournament play-in game. The Patriots would need to notch a win over either David Crockett or Unicoi County to lock the Cyclones into the two seed.
Come out and support both teams on Friday night in their final home game of the season. Girls JV begins at 4 PM, Boys JV starts at 5 PM, Girls Varsity gets underway at 6:30 PM, and Boys Varsity tips off at 8 PM.
Friday will also feature our Hoops Against Hunger night, with each spectator who donates a nonperishable or canned food item receiving two dollars off the price of general admission.
