Short-handed T.A. Dugger Cyclones can’t keep pace with Patriots
Published 4:55 pm Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The T.A. Dugger junior varsity team looks to rally late, down by three points with four minutes left in the game.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Rider Witten looks to shake a Patriot defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Cooper Fair moves quickly down the court for the Junior Cyclones.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Creed Baker goes to the rim for the score.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent C. Lyons hits the layup during varsity action.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Anthony Orton drives the baseline, looking for a teammate in the paint.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Anthony Orton soars to the rim past the Patriot defender.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Drake Lytton shields the ball as he dribbles past the Liberty Bell guard.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The last thing head junior Cyclones coach Billy Etter needed going into a matchup with a big, athletic Liberty Bell Patriots team was to be without the services of his big man and scorer Chase Taylor, as well as floor general Max Fields. Unfortunately, such was the case this week. The Patriots took advantage quickly, often sending two or three players down the court off missed Jr. Cyclones shots.
T.A. Dugger got on the board first as Creed Baker alertly grabbed the tip and raced downcourt for the score. Liberty Bell responded by outscoring the Jr. Cyclones 17-2 for the rest of the period. Drake Lytton cut the Patriots’ lead to single digits with two free throws, but Liberty Bell answered with a long jumper, sending the Cyclones into the locker room trailing by 11 points.
The Patriots further distanced themselves at the start of the second half, going on a 9-0 run and pushing their lead to 20 points before Anthony Orton hit a pair of free throws to get the deficit back under 20. Cyclones Eli Phillips and Baker managed to cut the Patriots’ lead to 33-17 going into the final period.
Liberty Bell started the final period with another run, pushing the score to 42-17. The Jr. Cyclones continued to battle but ultimately fell 44-20.
Post-game, coach Etter made no excuses but talked about where his team needs to improve.
“Yes, we have a lot of sickness in the program right now, but if you get down early it makes it hard; we have to have a next-man-up mentality,” Etter said. “We were getting beaten on the boards and by getting beaten on loose balls. When you play six-minute quarters and you get down by double digits, it can be tough. We will get back after it in the gym today, watch the film, and improve.”
The Jr. Cyclones will play Ross Robinson on Thursday.
Junior Varsity: Liberty Bell 40, T.A. Dugger 34
The Cyclones’ JV squad fell in a back-and-forth affair that wasn’t decided until the final 30 seconds. The Cyclones entered the locker room up 20-15, sparked by Carson Lyons’ play inside and the outside shooting of Drake Lytton. The Patriots slowly scraped back and took the lead in the third quarter, 30-26.
Carson Lyons tied the game at the 3:29 mark with a loose-ball putback. The two teams traded buckets, with Stephen Gorby hitting a pair of free throws to tie the game at 34-all with just 58 seconds left. The Patriots hit a three-pointer on their next possession, and the Jr. Cyclones committed a turnover while trying to tie the game. Liberty Bell iced the game at the free-throw line.
Lyons led the Cyclones with six points, while Lytton chipped in six points as well.
