Cyclones’ second-half defense foils Wildcats
Published 2:36 pm Saturday, December 28, 2024
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Jackson Buckles (52), 6-foot-5, jumps for the opening tipoff against Kingsport KACHEA’s Andrew Joyner (41), 6-foot-9, during Elizabethton’s Friday night matchup in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Justin Whitehead (15) hits a layup over KACHEA’s Andrew Joyner (41) as part of a 10-0 run at the start of their game Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Gabe Hicks (1) hits a runner over KACHEA’s Andrew Joyner (41) midway through the first quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Nathan Bailey (42) takes an inlet pass straight to the basket for two late in the first quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Gabe Hicks (1) drains a 3-pointer from the top of the arc late in the first quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Hudson Smith (50) hits a pull-up jumper in the lane with less than a minute left in the first quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Zach Wallin (10) splits the KACHEA defense and drives down the lane early in the second quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Nathan Bailey (42) is fouled by KACHEA’s Andrew Joyner (42) on his way to the hoop early in the second quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Midway through the second quarter, the Cyclones’ Andrew Bennett (12) drives the baseline for two Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent A steal at the other end of the court results in a breakaway runner in the lane for two as the Cyclones’ Nathan Bailey (42) blows past KACHEA’s Noah Colbaugh (15) early in the fourth quarter Friday night in the Happy Valley Christmas Tournament at Charlie Bayless Gymnasium at Happy Valley High School.
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STAR CORRESPONDENT
A seesaw first half saw the Elizabethton Fighting Cyclones turn up their defense in the second half to topple KACHEA 82-55 in the Happy Valley Christmas basketball tournament at Bayless Gymnasium on Friday night.
The first half featured offensive fireworks as EHS (10-3 overall) took a 25-19 first-quarter lead that became a 42-38 halftime advantage behind 14 first-half points from Andrew Barnett. KACHEA was led by 16 first-half points from Noah Colbaugh, who came off the Wildcats’ bench and scored a team-high 18 points.
“Defense is something we have been working on since the Science Hill game,” Cyclones head coach Lucas Honeycutt said. “We needed a spark to get some easy baskets, and we got them by rebounding and playing tough defense in the second half.”
This contest saw EHS run off the first 10 points of the game before Colbaugh scored a deuce for the Wildcats, who then ran off six straight points to make a game of it with guard Grant Thompson scoring eight first-quarter points, including a pair of three-balls.
EHS held KACHEA to 13 third-quarter points while scoring 23 to take a 65-51 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cyclones held the Wildcats to 5-for-13 shooting (38.4%) in the stanza with no three-balls connecting.
“We did a great job of rebounding in the second half,” Honeycutt said. “We did a lot of the little things right. We had to regroup after the first half. We gave up too many easy baskets, and we didn’t want a shootout.”
The Cyclones pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 17-4. Barnett scored a game-high 23 points, with Hudson Pate adding 18 and Nathan Bailey 16. Thompson scored 17 for the Wildcats, and Campbell Bridges added 10.
Happy Valley Christmas Classic
Bayless Gymnasium
Elizabethton 82, KACHEA 55
KACHEA (55)
Thompson 17, Bridges 10, D. Joyner 2, McCarty 2, A. Joyner 6, Colbaugh 18.
EHS (82)
Pate 18, Z. Wallin 9, Barnett 23, Whitehead 6, Hobbs 2, Bailey 16, J. Wallin 2, Smith 4, Buckles 2.
KACHEA 19 19 13 4 – 55
EHS 25 17 23 17 – 82
3-point goals: K 6 (Colbaugh 4, Thompson 2), E 6 (Barnett 3, Pate 2, Z. Wallin 1).
