Hiwassee Dam – Saturday night was a great way to begin the Hiwassee Dam basketball season. Both games against Towns County, Ga., went down to the wire, with the Lady Eagles prevailing 73-71 in a double overtime squeaker, while the Eagles won a 60-58 nail-biter.
Both Hiwassee Dam teams were down early before finding their footing as the game went on. The Lady Eagles jumped out to an 18-13 lead in the first quarter, but Towns County used some hot shooting and good offensive rebounding to lead 33-25 at halftime, then 40-29 early in the third quarter.
After head coach David Payne called time out, Hiwassee Dam would go on a 10-0 run to trim the Towns County (1-1 overall) lead to one. Neither team would lead by more than five points the rest of the way. The Lady Eagles retook the lead at 45-44 on a bucket by Brinkley Payne early in the fourth quarter, and always had an answer for the Lady Indians’ mini-runs.
Five straight points from Olivia McNabb put Hiwassee Dam in front 57-52 with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter, only for Towns County’s Sarah Shook to hit a layup and then a 3-pointer in the final minute to force overtime. McNabb would finish with 17 points to lead Hiwassee Dam, which had four score in double figures. Kiera Taylor and Katie McNabb both finished with 16 points, while Payne added 13. Brelan Sieveking and Shook led the Lady Indians with 27 and 19 points, respectively.
Neither team could gain separation in the first overtime, and that continued into the second overtime. Taylor’s two free throws with 24.6 seconds left were the difference, as Sieveking missed a wide-open reverse layup in the final seconds.
“One of our team goals for most nights is hustle,” David Payne said. “And I can’t say enough about the way our girls didn’t quit fighting. They fought the whole six quarters we wound up playing.”
In the boys game, Towns County (1-1) had the size and speed advantage and went to it early to build a 21-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Indians were playing with pace, and junior guard Zane Floyd was getting to the basket at will, finishing with a game-high 32 points.
But Towns County didn’t have anyone step up in a supporting role, and Hiwassee Dam used its diamond press and some timely shooting to get back into the game and keep it close throughout. The Eagles started the second quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 24-21 lead, but the Indians had an answer and went on a 17-6 run to lead 38-30 at halftime. Hiwassee Dam would go on a 7-0 run to start the third quarter, and hung around until taking advantage of an opportunity late.
Towns County led 58-53 with 2:52 left after a three-point play by Floyd, but Clay Davis cut the lead to two with a three-point play of his own 14 seconds later. Floyd would follow by missing the front end of a one-and-one, then Jonah Hamby hit two free throws to tie the game at 58 with 2:07 remaining. Floyd missed another front end with 2:06 to go, and
after a few empty possessions, Leo Hickson found Preston Hyde on a back-door cut for the game-winning layup.
Hickson, Hyde and Davis all scored a team-high 16 points for Hiwassee Dam. Floyd’s three with four seconds left bounced off the rim, and a desperation alley-oop with 0.2 seconds left failed, allowing the Eagles to steal a season-opening win.
“We just kept playing and kept playing,” Hiwassee Dam head coach Mark Raper said. “Finally caught back up, and in the end it was whoever made a play. And we made a play to win the game, and that’s what happened.”