MOUNTAIN CITY – A fast start is usually a sign things will go well for you, and on Friday night the Elizabethton Cyclones had that and then some.
The Cyclones (4-0) took their first conference game of the season on the road at Ray Shoun gym and routed Johnson County 66-44 in Three Rivers Conference action.
Senior guard Michael Robinson led all scorers with 22 points with Adam Cornett dropping in 14 for EHS. The Cyclones took a 32-23 lead at halftime on the strength of a 19-10 second period. In that stanza, Robinson dropped in seven of his 15 first half points and post Jacob Norris scored all 10 of his points.
“I feel like we played pretty decent,” Robinson said. “This team has the capability to be a lot better. I want us to go to the state. We have been to sub-state three straight years, and I really want us to make it over that hump. Defense is all of what we do, and we just play team ball.”
The Cyclones played good team defense coming out in the third period, holding Johnson County to just six points as EHS built a 50-29 lead going into the final period. Junior guard Bud Icenhour – who scored just two points in the first half – came alive in the second half with three trey’s and he finished with 11 points.
Jordan Edes led the Longhorns with 12 points with Sean Lewis adding eight.
For EHS, Alex Norwood and Norris each finished with 10 with Eric Wilson leading the way in rebounding with seven.
“I thought we played well defensively,” Cyclones head coach Lucas Honeycutt said. “We did well in rotation. I thought we rotated better in the first half and that got us some open looks and some easy baskets. Our defense got us to the rim some, and we were able to kick some of those out for three’s.”
GIRLS
Elizabethton
Johnson County
After sprinting to a 29-3 first quarter lead, the Lady Cyclones were able to take a more methodical approach to the rest of this one. Led by senior Ashley Depew’s 17 points in the first half the Cyclones ran off to a 55-14 halftime lead and never looked back.
Depew connected on four-for-four from beyond the arc in the first half with fellow senior Bailie Montgomery adding 10. Depew finished with those 17 points.
“It was a real confidence boost to shoot well tonight,” Depew said. “It was nice to shoot well, and we were really relaxed, and we played a lot better than we have earlier on. Defensively coach Johnson wants us to be aggressive. We read the ball well, and we tried out a new defense tonight and I think it worked well.”
Head coach Barry Johnson emptied his bench near the end of the third period with EHS on top 59-18 and a continuous running clock.
“We just try to do our thing,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of the way they played. They are playing hard, and we are trying to catch up with some of the time missed. We’re starting to find ourselves offensively. Defensively they played tremendously. We were aggressive, and we shared the basketball.”
Senior Michaela Cretsinger led the way for Johnson County with 13 points. Montgomery and Loran Campbell each finished with 10 points for EHS with Campbell taking down a game-high seven rebounds.
“Loran has just come back, but you would never know it,” Johnson said. “She has great hands and great touch around the basket. We are glad to have her back.”

Girls Basketball
Elizabethton 74-34
Elizabethton (74)
Townsend 2, Depew 17, Burleson 10, Lyon 8, Montgomery 10, Campbell 10, Shell 2, Edwards 3, Light 6, Jones 4, Koroma 2.
Johnson Co. (34)
Peele 2, Cole 2, C. Brooks 5, Parsons 6, Nichols 4, Cornett 2, Cretsinger 13.

Elizabethton 29 26 12 7 – 74
Johnson Co. 3 11 8 12 – 34
3-point goals: E 7-20 (Depew 4-5, Burleson 0-2, Lyon 0-1, Shell 0-4, Edwards 1-2, Light 2-4, Espino 0-2, Jones 0-1). JC 2-11 (B. Brooks 0-4, C. Brooks 0-2, Cretsinger 2-5).

Boys basketball
Elizabethton 66-44
Elizabethton (66)
Cornett 14, Robinson 22, Wilson 2, Russell 5, Turner 2, Townsend 1, Norwood 10, Norris 10.
Johnson Co. (44)
Icenhour 11, Snyder 2, N. Arnold 3, Edes 12, Lewis 8, Houser 6, T. Arnold 2.

Elizabethton 13 19 18 16 – 66
Johnson Co. 13 10 6 13 – 44
3-point goals: E 10-21 (Cornett 4-5, Robinson 4-7, Russell 1-3, Turner 0-1, Townsend 0-1, Norwood 0-1, Norris 1-3). JC 6-18 (Icenhour 3-10, N. Arnold 1-2, Lewis 2-4, Eller 0-1, Lawson 0-1)