North Greene edges Unaka for district title in late-game surge
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, February 26, 2025
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka’s Austin Lambert (50) goes up for a layup.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Referees prepare for the game.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka’s T.J. Good (2) fights for possession.
C.Y. Peters/Star Correspondent Unaka’s T.J. Good (2) passes to a teammate.
Contributed Photo Unaka’s Austin Lambert, Aiden Walsh and John Hardin were named to the District 1A All-Tournament team.
Contributed Photo Unaka’s John Hardin, Aiden Walsh, Mason Wilson and Rylan Crabtree earned All-Watauga Valley Conference honors for their strong performances throughout the regular season.
Contributed Photo The Unaka Rangers finished as District 1A runner-up after suffering a 44-39 defeat to the North Greene Huskies.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By C.Y. Peters
Star Correspondent
BLOUNTVILLE – For the third time this season, the North Greene Huskies bested the Unaka Rangers, this time in the championship game of the district tournament. The Rangers seemed destined for victory, controlling the game for three and a half quarters and leading by as many as 10 points. However, in the final minutes, the tide turned, and the Huskies surged ahead to claim a 44-39 win and the district title.
Austin Lambert set the tone early, scoring Unaka’s first five points. The Rangers maintained their lead until the closing moments of the third quarter. Despite Unaka’s strong start, Lawson Davenport took over for North Greene in the third period, scoring eight crucial points and giving the Huskies a narrow 32-31 lead heading into the final quarter.
From that point forward, it was all North Greene. The Huskies dominated the boards, played relentless defense, and limited Unaka to just one shot per possession. Thomas Darnell caught fire, breaking away for three consecutive uncontested baskets, sealing the game for the Huskies and securing the district championship.
The Huskies’ defense proved suffocating, preventing any Unaka player from reaching double figures. They also managed to neutralize the Rangers’ big man, John Hardin, holding him to just six points. Lambert led the Rangers with nine points, while Rylan Crabtree added eight. Senior Mason Wilson faced heavy defensive pressure all night, making it difficult for him to contribute offensively. Jackson Deyton stepped up with several key rebounds and scored Unaka’s final four points of the first half.
Despite the tough loss, all is not lost for Coach Aaron Dugger’s team. The setback places them in the regional bracket against Cosby rather than University High or North Greene, who are in the same regional bracket. The Rangers will face Washburn on Saturday night, with a victory propelling them to a matchup at West Ridge against the winner of Cosby vs. Cloudland. At this stage in the season, the primary goal is to reach a sub-state game, which requires finishing in the top two in the regional tournament. The regional champion earns a home sub-state game, while the runner-up will play on the road.
Three Unaka players—Austin Lambert, Aiden Walsh and John Hardin—were named to the all-tournament team. Additionally, Hardin, Walsh, Mason Wilson and Rylan Crabtree earned All-Watauga Valley Conference honors for their strong performances throughout the regular season.
While the Rangers fell short in the district championship, their season is far from over. With a strong showing in the regional tournament, Unaka still has a chance to make a deep postseason run.
Unaka 17 8 6 8 – 39
North Greene 10 8 13 13 – 44
Unaka: Lambert 9, Hardin 6, Walsh 4, Wilson 5, Crabtree 8, Deyton 4, Good 3.
North Greene: Bailey 3, Davenport 10, Gaby 2, Vaught 1, Darnell 16, Carrico 12.
