Rivals Claiborne and Cumberland Gap met, December 16, at Claiborne High School for basketball action on the hardwood. All four teams were on schedule to play.
The first game was the junior varsity girls. Cumberland Gap ran off to a 7-2 advantage nearing the middle of the first period. Claiborne made a run but by the end of the period the Lady Panthers led 13-6. Cumberland Gap went up by 10 early in the second period but at this point Claiborne was hanging around. The Lady Panthers hit a three and got the harm. After the free throw, the score was 25-14. Cumberland Gap was hitting threes and Claiborne was hitting twos as the end of the half was nearing. The Gap lead ranged from nine to 10 points and at the half the Lady Panthers led 41-23. Coming out of the break, Cumberland Gap’s scoring slowed at first but quickly resumed as they pulled ahead, 46-25. At the end of three periods the Cumberland Gap lead was 54-27. There was no comeback from the Lady Bulldogs and Cumberland Gap won the game 67-29. Brynlee Foster led the Lady Panthers with 18, Brinkley Hollin had 11, Callie Hoskins had eight, Ashlynn Roberts had seven, Jenna Middleton had six, Jayla Bailey had six, Emrey Glover had three, Jenna Beth Wilburn had two and Gracie Nash had one point. Jacey Ferguson led Claiborne with 11, Carlie Laprade had six, Jaylen Pressnell had three, Chloe Cupp had two Jossilyn Robbins had two, Katie Hicks had two and Channing Buis had two. Aralyn Cook had one point.
The second matchup of the evening was between the JV boys. Claiborne came out firing early and often leading to an 11-4 lead over Cumberland Gap midway through the first quarter. Claiborne shots didn’t fall off as they were leading 25-8 at the end of the first quarter. Cumberland Gap got a few shots to fall during the second quarter, but Claiborne’s shots were still falling at will. Claiborne held a 41-16 lead over The Gap at the end of the first half. Claiborne ran away from their rival during the second half and led 57-24 at the end of the third quarter. Claiborne rolled on to a 70-37 victory over Cumberland Gap. Claiborne was led by Jake Smith with a game high 18 points. Also scoring for the Bulldogs was Cole Holt with 13, Drew Epperson with nine, CJ Cox and Kaden Lovin each with eight, Lukas Thomas with four, Kaden Williams with three, Gage Ray, Corbin Whitaker and Hunter Greer each had two and Aden Roark rounded out the scoring with one. Cumberland Gap was led by Hudson Harris with 13 points. The Panthers also had scores from Kolton Goins with 11, Colton Jones with seven and Cody Weaver, Hunter Wilhoit and Cole Adams each added two.
The third matchup of the evening was between the varsity girls. Cumberland Gap opened the scoring on a basket inside by Gracie Nash, but Allie Jones answered with a basket for Claiborne. Cumberland Gap again scored on an inside shot from Callie Hoskins, but Emma Myatt gave Claiborne their first lead with a corner three. Hayden Beeler was able to get a shot to fall for Cumberland Gap but once again Claiborne had the answer on a shot from Taylor Pressnell. Beeler got another basket to fall to give Cumberland Gap an 8-7 lead. Claiborne responded with two shots to end the quarter and held an 11-8 lead over Cumberland Gap at the end of the first quarter. Hoskins opened the scoring in the second quarter for The Gap by stepping to the line and knocking down two free throws. Cumberland Gap then tied the ball game at 11 after Brynlee Foster hit one of two free throws. Emrey Glover got the lead back for Cumberland Gap 13-11 on a tough shot inside. Cumberland Gap went on an 8-4 run, but Pressnell stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws for Claiborne and tied the game back at 19 with 2:44 left in the first half. Hannah Fugate knocked down two more free throws and gave Claiborne the lead back at 21-19. Glover tied the game back at 21 on a tough shot inside. She drew the foul as well, but the free throw didn’t find its way home. Pressnell then knocked down a corner three and after Claiborne forced a turnover Pressnell then got a quick fast break layup to give Claiborne a 26-21 lead over Cumberland Gap with :55 remaining in the first half. Claiborne held a 28-22 lead at the end of the first half. Cumberland Gap got the first score of the second half as Beeler hit two free throws. Jordan Fultz answered with a shot for Claiborne, but Glover again got a shot in the paint for The Gap. Hoskins knocked down a corner three for the Lady Panthers to bring them back within one point of the Lady Bulldogs. Nash tied the game up at 30 from the free throw line. Beeler then gave Cumberland Gap the lead at 32-30 on an offensive rebound put back. Claiborne’s Jones tied the game back at 32 but Beeler gave Cumberland Gap the lead back after hitting one of two from the free throw line. Claiborne regained the lead at 34-33 on a shot inside from Myatt but Glover got Cumberland Gap back on top with a fast break layup and then knocking down two free throws on the next possession. Cumberland Gap held a 37-34 lead at the end of the third quarter. Glover got another layup to open the fourth quarter. After a Claiborne free throw Foster hit a cutting Glover for another Lady Panthers layup to lead 41-35 with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter. Fugate then knocked down a three, but Cumberland Gap responded with a nine-point run with free throws from Glover, Hoskins and Kerry Dixon plus an inside shot from Hoskins and Nash that gave them a 50-38 lead with 3:32 remaining in the game. The team swapped free throws down the stretch before Addie Brooks got the final basket for Claiborne just before time expired in the game. Cumberland Gap got the 55-44 victory over their rival Claiborne. Cumberland Gap was led in scoring by Emrey Glover with 23 points. Hayden Beeler added 11, Callie Hoskins dropped 10, Gracie Nash had five, Brynlee Foster added three, Kerry Dixon had two and Jayla Bailey rounded out the scoring with one point. Claiborne was led by Hannah Fugate with 11, Emma Myatt and Taylor Pressnell each with nine, Allie Jones with eight, Jordan Fultz with four, Addie Brooks with two and Ily Bussell with one.
The Heartland Real Estate Players of the Game were Emrey Glover and Hayden Beeler Congratulations Emrey and Hayden!
The final game of the night was between the varsity boys. Cumberland Gap came out firing and got their first two shots to fall before Claiborne found an answer. Claiborne called time to regroup with Cumberland Gap leading 9-7 with 4:00 left in the first quarter. Claiborne worked back in front, but Cumberland Gap kept sinking big shots to match them. Claiborne kept the lead at 19-17 over Cumberland Gap at the end of the first quarter. Cumberland Gap kept their rhythm during the second quarter, but Tyler Myatt erupted for 16 points during the quarter including a three-quarter court buzzer beater to end the first half. Claiborne had worked out to a 46-34 lead over The Gap as the teams went to the locker rooms. Claiborne found the basket first on a corner three from Brady Hamlin, but The Gap answered with a three from Alex Douglas. CHS got a pair of free throws from Jacob Smith, but Kaleb Powers matched him with a pair of his own for Cumberland Gap. Hamlin got another shot to fall to extend Claiborne’s lead to 14 at 53-39 with 5:12 left in the third quarter. Ethan Short got a tough basket inside and drew the foul but missed the free throw. Hamlin knocked down another three before Andy Osborne answered with one of two free throws. Hamlin got his third three of the half but Braden Ellison matched him with a three of his own for Cumberland Gap. The score was 61-45 in favor of Claiborne with 3:10 left in the third. Evan Thomas knocked down another three for Claiborne and then Ethan Cupp stepped to the line and knocked down two Bulldogs free throws to lead 66-45 with 2:12 left in the quarter. The Panthers finally found an answer when Ellison knocked down a shot in the lane and after a forced turnover Osborne got a basket for Cumberland Gap as well. Smith answered for Claiborne with a shot and then a pair of free throws to lead 70-49 with 1:01 left in the quarter. Isaac Brown got a basket for the Panthers, but Cupp got a shot on the inside to fall for Claiborne. Claiborne was comfortably leading over Cumberland Gap 73-51 as the teams entered the final quarter. Ethan Powell got the first two baskets of the fourth quarter for Cumberland Gap in between a pair of Claiborne free throws by Cupp. Osborne dropped in a pair of free throws as Cumberland Gap tried to dig their way back into things. Powell then sank a pair of free throws through, but Claiborne finally got an answer as Caden Cox drilled a deep three. Claiborne was on top of the Panthers 78-59 with 5:06 left in the game. Powell got another shot to fall inside the paint and Noah Yonts got a shot as well. Claiborne was still up 80-63 with 2:59 left in the game. Kaleb Powers got another basket for Cumberland Gap and then Ellison hit two free throws. Claiborne was able to run the rest of the time of the clock and take the 81-67 victory over Cumberland Gap. Leading Claiborne in scoring was Tyler Myatt with a game high 23 points. Also scoring for the Bulldogs was Brady Hamlin with 14, Jacob Smith with 11, Ethan Cupp with 10, Brennan Fugate with seven, Evan Thomas with six, Ethan Short with four and Caden Cox and Cole Holt each with three. Cumberland Gap was led by Braden Ellison with 17 and Ethan Powell with 14. The Panthers also got scores from Alex Douglas with eight, Andy Osborne and Noah Yonts each with seven, Devin Byrd with six and Isaac Brown and Kaleb Powers each with four.
The Danny England Motors Players of the Game were Tyler Myatt and Brady Hamlin. Congratulations Tyler and Brady!
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