Claiborne High School Bulldogs basketball hosted Cherokee during the opening of the 2021-2022 district tournament, February 18.
Both boys’ and girls’ varsity teams knew their opponent well and to advance they needed to beat a team they just defeated days ago.
First up were the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Chiefs. When the ball was tipped off, the Lady Chiefs struck first. Claiborne returned the favor, and the battle was on. The Lady Bulldogs press was doing its job and allowed CHS to pull out 8-4. CHS led 15-9 after one period of play. Cherokee made a run and made it a one score game before Hailey Sexton made a three. The Claiborne defense spearheaded by Hannah Fugate, Taylor Pressnell, Emma Myatt and Sexton was making it hard on the Lady Chiefs as Myatt, Fugate and Addie Brooks provided enough scoring to retake the lead from Cherokee at 2:30, 35-33 after leading at the half, 28-21. The Lady Chiefs wouldn’t go away and Ily Bussell hit a basket that gave CHS a three-point lead, but Cherokee once again made it a one-point contest with just under a minute remaining in the third. The score after three was 37-36 with the home team holding the narrow lead. Cherokee tied the game at 37 on the free throw line to start the fourth period. Claiborne then had an empty possession and allowed Cherokee to lead by two. The Lady Chiefs then moved on away and led 41-37 with 5:38 remaining. Pressnell hit a three and made it a one-point contest. The game was back and forth for the next minute until Sexton went to the line and hit one of two, 44-43 Cherokee. Fugate hit a shot in the paint that gave CHS the lead by one, 45-44. The Lady Chiefs tied it from the line at 45. Jones then hit a free throw, but Cherokee scored again. Sexton went to the line and tied the game at 47. With 13.3 seconds left, Cherokee had the ball, but regulation time ran out after a missed shot. Tied at 47 the teams went into overtime. It was back and forth in overtime and the Lady Chiefs led at the final buzzer, 51-48. Fugate led CHS in scoring with 10, Allie Jones had nine, Sexton had eight, Pressnell had seven, Myatt, Bussell and Jordan Fultz had four each and Addie Brooks finished with two points. Bella Markham led the Lady Chiefs with 12.
Next was the Bulldogs versus Chiefs. Ethan Cupp, Seth Morelock and Levi Peoples gave Claiborne a 10-4 lead early during the opening period. The Bulldogs ended the period with a 17-13 lead. The Bulldogs went on a run to start the second period and extended the score out to 21-13. Three-pointers were falling for Cupp, Peoples and Myatt. The hot shooting continued for the Bulldogs, and they held a 30-17 lead with 4:03 left in the first half. The half ended with Cherokee chipping away at the Bulldogs lead, 35-28.
Coming out of the locker room, Cupp opened the scoring for the Bulldogs with two points down on the block and then hit a mid-range jumper. Claiborne led by nine points. Landon Wilson hit a basket down low, and Claiborne’s defense forced a turnover but didn’t convert. George Smith hit a tough, acrobatic shot down low, and the Bulldogs led 43-32. At the end of three, Claiborne led 45-40.
Cherokee made a run to start the final period and tied it at 45. Myatt broke the tie and gave Claiborne the lead back with a three. Morelock added two that extended the lead to five. Myatt hit two from the free throw line and extended the score to 52-47. In the end Claiborne had enough scoring to keep Cherokee behind them and won the game, 62-48. Leading Claiborne in scoring was Cupp with 18, Peoples had 13, Myatt had 10, Bailey had eight, Smith and Wilson both had four, Morelock had three and Brennan Fugate had two. The Bulldogs move on to play, July 19, facing Greeneville at Greeneville. Colin Ryan scored 18 to lead Cherokee.
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