Wildcats’ torrid shooting dooms Happy Valley
Published 3:27 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Lane Parker (1) pulls up and hits a 10-footer in the lane early in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Lane Parker (1) is fouled from behind as he puts up a runner in the lane early in the first quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Artee Bahn (22) scores off a steal and a give-and-go inlet pass from Lane Parker (1) midway through the first quarter against the Wildcats of KACHEA on Saturday night.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Ron Paul Parker (12) is fouled hard by KACHEA’s Noah Coclough (15) as he drives to the hoop late in the second quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Zach Rose (23) makes a steal at the KACHEA foul line and races to the basket for two late in the first half on Saturday night.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Austin Nickles (21) floats down the lane for a layup early in the third quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Some smart passing by the Warriors leaves Jackson Fenner (20) wide open to drain this 3-ball early in the third quarter.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Warriors’ Jace Winegar (33) hits a fadeaway jumper in the lane late in the third quarter.
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STAR CORRESPONDENT
On Saturday evening at the Warriors Christmas Classic, the KACHEA Wildcats’ hot shooting was too much for the Happy Valley Warriors to overcome. The Wildcats shot 28-for-48 overall from the floor (58.3%) and were equally sharp from 3-point range, connecting on 11-of-19 long-range shots (57.8%) in a 73-38 win.
“It was as bad as it gets,” Warriors head coach Shane Williams said. “You have to disrupt shots defensively, and we didn’t do a near good enough job.”
KACHEA opened with a 27-point first quarter that gave the Wildcats a 27-13 first-period lead. Things went from bad to worse for HV (2-11 overall) in the second period as KACHEA outscored HV 20-6 to take a 47-19 halftime advantage.
In the second quarter, the Warriors shot just 1-for-14 (7.1%) from the floor and were 4-for-8 from the free-throw line.
“That’s where we lost the game,” Williams said. “We couldn’t get a shot to drop.”
HV didn’t quit in the second half, led by bench players like Jackson Fenner, Jackson Grindstaff, and Jace Winegar. Fenner scored seven points, Grindstaff added three, and Winegar had two.
Austin Nickles topped the Warriors with eight points, but KACHEA saw five players score in double figures, with Grant Thompson’s 15 points leading the way. Post Andrew Joyner had 14 points, while Campbell Bridges and Daniel Joyner each scored 12, and Noah Colbaugh added 11.
In the late game, the Warriors fell to Elizabethton 80-60.
Warriors Christmas Classic
Bayless Gymnasium
KACHEA 73, Happy Valley 38
KACHEA (73): Thompson 15, Bridges 12, D. Joyner 12, McCarty 2, A. Joyner 14, Johnson 3, Colbaugh 11, Matlock 4.
Happy Valley (38): L. Parker 4, R. Parker 5, Nickles 7, Bahn 6, Grindstaff 3, Tittle 1, Fenner 7, Rose 2, Winegar 2.
KACHEA 27 20 15 11 — 73
Happy Valley 13 6 14 5 — 38
3-point goals: K 11 (Thompson 4, Bridges 2, D. Joyner 2, Colbaugh 3); HV 3 (Nickles 1, Grindstaff 1, Fenner 1).
