Rangers fall to Central on the final day of Thanksgiving tourney
Published 1:21 am Tuesday, December 3, 2019
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Star Photo/C.Y. Peters Unaka and Central players battle for a loose ball in Saturday's Food City Thanksgiving Classic.
BY C.Y. PETERS
STAR CORRESPONDENT
BLUFF CITY – Cyber Saturday wasn’t any better than Black Friday for the Unaka Rangers.
Sullivan Central scored 26 points from the charity stripe while shooting 33 times for a 62-55 win over the Rangers in the final day of the Food City Thanksgiving Classic.
The Rangers fell behind by seven in the first and played even with the Cougars in the second as both teams scored thirteen points apiece.
Will Sexton score Unaka’s only four but went on to led Unaka with 27 points.
Coach Aaron Dugger’s full-court press worked so well in last week’s win over Central he would try it again.
Yes it worked this week as well, and the Rangers tied the score at 36 by the end of the third but the free throws and easy baskets under the goal helped Central for the win.
“We just have to keep playing hard and getting better,” stated Coach Dugger.
Freshman Joe-z Blamo and Jonathan Campbell got to see plenty of playing time, something Coach Dugger will have to rely on in games to come.
But entering the fourth, Central would begin to pull away. Central was 13 of 15 in the final period from the foul line.
The Cougars would go back up by 12 in the fourth with Harrison and Robinette both scoring eight points each. Harrison would finish the game with 20 points for the Cougars.
Unaka was 17 of 24 from the line. Now with the pre-season classics over Unaka will start its regular season on Tuesday at Johnson County.
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Central, 62-55
Unaka 4 13 19 19 -55
Central 11 13 12 26 -62
Unaka: Sexton 27, Slagle 11, Johnson 3, Ramsey 1, Whitehead 8, Campbell 5.
Central: Harrison 20, Barb 11, Crabtree 12, Robinette 9, Lane 6, Fields 4.
Unaka 4 13 19 19 -55
Central 11 13 12 26 -62
Unaka: Sexton 27, Slagle 11, Johnson 3, Ramsey 1, Whitehead 8, Campbell 5.
Central: Harrison 20, Barb 11, Crabtree 12, Robinette 9, Lane 6, Fields 4.
