Cyclones secure region berth with win over Patriots
Published 9:14 pm Saturday, February 22, 2025
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Cyclones post player Nathan Bailey pulls up for a mid-range jumper in Elizabethton's opening game of the District 1-3A tournament against East.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Elizabethton guard Zack Wallin takes the basketball with authority to the rim and draws a foul as he completes a three-point play the old-fashioned way.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Evan Chambers splits a pair of East defenders on his way to the basket.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Justius Wallin is surrounded by a trio of Patriots after coming down with an offensive rebound for the Cyclones.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Andrew Barnett lines up a three-pointer in front of the Cyclones bench.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Hudson Smith works hard in the paint against East in the Cyclones' opening-game win in District 1-3A play.
Ivan Sanders/Star Correspondent Hudson Pate shows a face of determination as he drives to the rim for Elizabethton on Friday night inside Viking Hall in the District 1-3A tournament.
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STAR CORRESPONDENT
BRISTOL – It was win or go home for the Elizabethton Cyclones and Sullivan East Patriots on Friday night inside Viking Hall on the campus of Tennessee High School in the play-in game in District 1-AAA action.
Regular-season records can be thrown out the window as high school basketball enters its second season, and the Cyclones were up to the task as Elizabethton secured a spot in the upcoming regional tournament with a 63-46 win.
The win sets up a Saturday night showdown with regular-season champion Tennessee High — a team that has defeated the Cyclones twice during the regular season — in one semifinal game.
Elizabethton came in looking to push the basketball against the Patriots and managed to slide out to a slim five-point lead after the first 16 minutes of action as coach Lucas Honeycutt’s team built a 32-27 lead at halftime.
Cat-like guard Hudson Pate was weaving and slashing his way for the Cyclones in the half as he led Elizabethton with 10 first-half points.
Pate had help as Andrew Barnett and Nathan Bailey each drained a pair of treys and added a field goal apiece to tally eight points each.
Hudson Smith scored four from his post position, while Justius Wallin dropped in a pair of free throws.
Thomas Ridlehuber led the Patriots in the half, scoring 11 points, while Ryan Hurley and Blue Proffitt each logged seven points to keep East close.
Elizabethton came out of the locker room and managed to work its way to a 15-point lead in the second half before East put on a run to narrow the gap to six points early in the fourth quarter.
However, Zack Wallin drove the lane and was hammered on the shot that rolled through the net as Wallin completed the three-point play the old-fashioned way to end the run as Elizabethton put together a 15-7 final eight minutes of play to secure the victory.
Barnett led the way with a team-high 16 points for the Cyclones, with Pate close behind with 14.
Bailey and Smith finished with eight points apiece, while Zack Wallin finished with seven points. Justius Wallin (6), Jaxon Price (2) and Justin Whitehead (2) balanced the scorebook for the Cyclones.
Ridlehuber finished the night with a game-high 18 points for the Patriots in the season-ender. Eli Hubbard came on strong in the second half to finish in double figures with 12 points.
Saturday’s game has a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The winner advances to Tuesday night’s championship game at 7:30 p.m.
