Rebs make final stand… Cyclones see double-digit lead fade in 2 OT loss, 63-61
Published 12:17 am Thursday, February 27, 2020
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
The Elizabethton cheerleading squad worked hard to cheer on the Cyclones in their championship game with Sullivan South.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Parker Hughes directs the offense for the Cyclones Tuesday night during the District 1-AA Boys Championship contest.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton's William Willocks eyes the basket as he prepares to fire up a free throw.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Donta Earnest of the Cyclones flies to the rim for two points.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Parker Hughes of Elizabethton puts up an off-balanced shot around a Sullivan South defender.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Nico Ashley puts up a shot for two points over South's Gannon Chase.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
The 2020 District 1-AA Boy's All-Tournament team was named at the end of the championship game. Named to the All-Tourney were: Sulllivan East - Dylan Bartley and Ethan Bradley, Johnson County - Lucas Phillips, Unicoi County - Brock Thompson, Elizabethton - Parker Hughes, Nico Ashley, and William Willocks, Sullivan South - Cameron Necessary, Gannon Chase, and Ben Diamond. Tournament MVP - Cole Layne of Sullivan South.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Elizabethton's (L-R) William Willocks, Parker Hughes, and Nico Ashley were named to the 2020 Boys District 1-AA All-Tournament team.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
BLUFF CITY – The Elizabethton Cyclones probably know how General George Custer felt when he was left pretty much all alone at the Battle of Little Big Horn surrounded on all sides.
Not only were the Cyclones having to face a pretty darn good Sullivan South team, they were facing the whole county of Sullivan in the bleachers and three men on the court wearing whistles.
When all was said and done the Cyclones fired every volley they could before finally falling 63-61 in the District 1-AA District Championship played inside the Dyer Dome at Sullivan East High School.
The Patriots won the consolation game on a thrilling last-second shot over Unicoi County to take the third seed out of District 1-AA.
Elizabethton was clicking early building a 28-17 lead at the break behind a balanced scoring attack and a patient offense that worked to set up good looks at the basket even on their misses.
William Willocks scored 11 in the first half to lead the way for Coach Lucas Honeycutt’s Cyclones. Nico Ashley added eight points including a thunderous two-handed dunk that snapped the Cyclone fans to attention.
Parker Hughes dropped in four points while doing a very effective job of running the Cyclone offense out front. Jake Roberts got into the scoring by stroking a trey.
The Rebels were a different team offensively in the second half forcing and converting points off Cyclone miscues. Ben Diamond and Layne Cole led the charge for South scoring eight and six points respectively in the third outscoring the Cyclones 18-12 cutting into the EHS lead as the scoreboard read 40-35 heading into the final quarter of regulation play.
South evened the score by once again outscoring Elizabethton 18-13 in the fourth to force the first overtime.
Hughes fouled out on a small touch foul with five minutes left in regulation and in overtime Ashley was whistled for another foul that was questionable.
Making things more interesting was the official shooting his hand in the air signaling five fouls immediately after blowing the whistle before the scores table even notified him that Ashley was disqualified.
With the Cyclones down two key players, everything looked to favor the Rebels but Donta Earnest showed his toughness as a young player by taking the ball to the rim and drawing a foul from Diamond as the clock expired.
Earnest calmly sank both shots to send the game into a second overtime as Diamond disqualified himself with the foul. Earnest also was pushed out of bounds with time winding down in the second overtime with a no call that gave the ball back to South for the winning shot.
Elizabethton fought valiantly in the second overtime but South utilized its size inside with Camden Necessary attacking the rim and from outside with Layne making crucial baskets to seal the win for the Rebels that sent the Rebel fans and half of Sullivan County into a frenzy as school administrators and sheriff’s deputies had to send the fans back to their seats for the awards ceremony.
Tournament MVP Layne led the Rebels with 26 points while Necessary and Diamond collected 18 and 17 respectively.
Elizabethton was led in scoring by Ashley with 15 with Roberts closing out his night with 13 points. Willocks finished with the 11 he scored in the first half.
Earnest and Brayden Phillips finished with seven points. Hughes added six points before fouling out while Jordan Haynes closed out the Cyclone scoring ledger with two points.
“With Parker (Hughes) fouling out early – he is kind of the guy that makes the engine run that just throws you out of rhythm and I think we got out of rhythm a little bit,” said Honeycutt after the contest. “I thought our young guys just showed effort and heart – they didn’t give up and they didn’t quit.
“Jake hit some big shots as well. You can see a whole lot of growth throughout the season. I don’t know if many people expected us to be here after the way we started the year and we knew that. It was just one of those things where they were a little bit better at the end than we were.”
The Cyclones are not done as they take on South Greene on Saturday. The Rebels were upset in the District 2-AA tournament and will be coming into John Treadway Gym with vengeance on their mind.
Tipoff is 7 pm.
