Hiwassee Dam – With a 41-point first half, the Hiwassee Dam girls varsity basketball team defeated in-county rival Murphy 69-38.
For the second time this season, the two Cherokee County teams meet on Jan. 13. In their first meeting, the Dogs won their season opener against the Eagles 51-50 in Murphy.
This time in Hiwassee Dam, the Eagles got the win – and they did so in dominant fashion.
The Lady Eagles took an early lead thanks to baskets from Brinkley Payne and Abby Harris. They then got out to a 9-0 lead on a Payne 3-pointer.
With 2:48 left in the opening quarter, the Lady Dogs got on the board.
In the final minutes of the opening quarter, Harris and Emma Laney traded 3-pointers as the Eagles led 16-5. Payne made a buzzer-beating layup to give the Eagles a 22-7 lead heading to the second quarter.
Payne led the Eagles in the first quarter with 11 points, while Harris scored nine. For Murphy, Laney, Emma Hensley and Ellie McClure contributed to the seven-point opening quarter.
Both teams conoid to score in the second quarter. Avery McNabb scored the first basket for the Eagles, while Amelia Joyner scored Murphy’s first points.
With just over a minute left before halftime, Brooklyn Orton hit a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 21-point lead as halftime approached. The Eagles maintained a big lead and went into halftime ahead 41-22.
Payne again led the Eagles with an eight-point second quarter. The Lady Dogs were led by Joyner with five points and Laney with four.
The Lady Eagles continued to extend their lead in the third quarter by dropping 19-points to take a 30-point lead through the third quarter. Two 3-pointers from McNabb led the Lady Eagles in the third quarter, while Kinley Stiles also had five points.
Kennedy White led the Lady Dogs with four points in the third quarter. Both teams sat their starters during the fourth quarter as the Lady Eagles took an insurmountable lead.
Just under halfway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles took a 35-point lead to trigger the running clock. The Eagles closed out the game by outscoring Murphy 9-8 in the final quarter.
The Lady Eagles were led by Payne with 26 points. Harris was also in double digits with 17 points.
Orton had nine points, McNabb had eight and Stiles had seven points against Murphy.
Joyner and Laney led the Lady Bulldogs with seven points each. McClure, White, Hensley, Ilie Smith, CJ Yarbro and Ella Howard all had four points each.