Cyclones open with wins over Volunteer, Cocke Co. in rare two-game season opener
Published 10:24 pm Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Nathan Bailey outjumps Kyler Hayes of Cocke County to win the opening tip for Elizabethton.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Zach Wallin pulls up for a three-point attempt in the first half of play.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Cyclone senior Andrew Barnett makes an acrobatic move to score two points in the paint for Elizabethton.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Hudson Pate drives with authority to the rim for a layup.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Justin Whitehead prepares to release a three-pointer that swished the net to extend the Cyclone lead.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Junior Nathan Bailey makes a reverse underhand layup despite defensive pressure from Cocke County’s Kyler Hayes.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Elizabethton’s Justius Wallin drives hard toward a contested layup attempt.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
STAR CORRESPONDENT
To say that Coach Lucas Honeycutt’s Cyclone team slept well Tuesday night would be spot-on after opening their 2024-25 season with not one but two games to tip off a new campaign.
After defeating Volunteer 68-64 Tuesday afternoon, the Cyclones returned for a nightcap against the Fighting Cocks of Cocke County, winning in nail-biting fashion as a final last-second shot by Cocke County fell short, resulting in a 57-55 victory for the Cyclones.
In a game that was close throughout, the Cyclones couldn’t build much of a lead against the Fighting Cocks. The first half ended in a 26-26 tie, setting up a second-half battle.
Andrew Barnett set the tone for the Cyclones in the first half as the senior sharpshooter sank two treys and added a two-pointer for eight points in the opening 16 minutes. Nathan Bailey and Justin Whitehead each added two three-pointers.
Will Sutton and Waylon Fox paced Cocke County with six points apiece, keeping the game even at halftime.
The third period proved pivotal for the Cyclones, who managed to eke out a three-point lead with a 16-13 advantage in the quarter. Those three points proved crucial, as a final attempt by Cocke County to tie the game rimmed out, sealing the victory for Elizabethton.
Bailey led the Cyclones in scoring with 17 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Barnett added 11 points, three assists, three rebounds, and a steal. Zach Wallin also finished in double figures with 10 points and three assists, while Justius Wallin led the Cyclones in rebounds with seven and added four points.
Ethan Fine led Cocke County in scoring with 13 points, while Kyler Hayes added nine before fouling out late.
Elizabethton 68, Volunteer 64
In Tuesday’s earlier game, the Cyclones had three players in double-digit scoring to edge the Falcons. Andrew Barnett led the way with 17 points, hitting 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. Point guard Hudson Pate tallied 14 points, three assists, and four rebounds. Zach Wallin contributed 10 points, four assists, and two steals, while Justius Wallin grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Cyclones on the glass.
The Falcons featured four players in double figures, led by Lucas Gilliam with 15 points. Owen Tullock added 12, while Griffin Head and Owen Miller finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
