Hiwassee Dam – Local basketball fans were treated to an exciting opening week featuring three wins and a double-overtime loss.
The Eagles varsity basketball teams kicked off their season with two home games against rivals Copper Basin, Tenn., and Macon Early College.
Boys
The Eagles kicked off their season with a dominant performance against state line rivals Copper Basin. The two teams met in Hiwassee Dam on Nov. 18, and the Eagles won 60-27.
The Eagles started the game with 16 straight points before the Cougars got on the board. During the run, Copper Basin called two timeouts but couldn’t stop the onslaught.
The Eagles dropped 20 points in the opening quarter and held the Cougars to just four. Leading the Eagles was Jonah Dockers with 10 points in the first quarter.
After the big opening quarter, the Eagles put up 10 points in the second quarter. They held the Cougars to single digits yet again to lead 30-9 at halftime.
Throughout the second half, the Eagles continued to pile it on with 14 points in the third quarter and 16 more in the fourth. They also held the Cougars to single digits again in the third quarter, but they finally got double digits with a 10-point fourth.
The Eagles cruised to a 60-27 victory to start their season on the right foot with a win. Leading the Eagles was Dockery as the only Eagle scoring double-digit points with 15, all in the first half.
Both Abel Penland and Jimmy Kelly had nine points each. Penland went 3/4 from the free throw line, and Kelly made one of the team’s two 3-pointers. Xavier Johnson had seven points, with four coming on field goals and three coming from the free throw line.
The Eagles were back in action Friday night as they hosted Macon Early College. They put together another dominant performance in a 62-19 win.
The Eagles opened the game by dropping 32 points in the first quarter and only allowing Macon Early College to score one basket. Dockery had 13 points in the opening frame, which included three 3-pointers.
They added 15 more points in the second quarter to take a 47-6 lead to halftime. Coming out of halftime, the Eagles had two single-digit point scoring quarters, but they still outscored their opponent in those quarters.
The Eagles earned the big win to remain undefeated through the first week of the season. The Eagles were led with 16 points by Dockery, the only Eagle scoring double digits. Dalton Landon had nine points, while Johnson added eight.
Girls
The Lady Eagles’ season started with a hard-fought game against Copper Basin, Tenn., losing 64-59 in double overtime.
It was a close opening quarter as neither team led by more than a few points. The Lady Eagles began to pull away late and took a 11-8 lead into the second.
The Lady Eagles kept it rolling and extended their lead in the second quarter, but the Lady Cougars battled back in the final minutes to tie the game and then take the lead. After battling back, the Lady Cougars led 25-23 at halftime.
The Lady Cougars maintained their lead throughout the third quarter, but the Lady Eagles were only a step behind. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles trailed 41-38.
With just over two minutes into the fourth quarter, Brinkley Payne made a basket to tie the game at 42. After they tied it, neither team led by more than a few points in the final frame.
The Lady Cougars took a late lead, but Payne went to the free throw line and made two shots to tie the game at 50 with 39 seconds remaining. Neither team made a basket after that, sending the game to overtime.
In the first four-minute overtime period, they went back and forth exchanging the lead. The Lady Cougars led 57-56 until Payne was fouled with 6.1 seconds left. She made one of two shots and tied the game, forcing a second overtime period since neither squad scored in the final six seconds.
The game was close in the opening minutes of the second overtime period, but inside the final minute the Lady Cougars began to pull away.
With 12 seconds left, the Lady Cougars went to the free throw line and put the game out of reach. Three Lady Eagles were in double-digit points in the season opener, led by Brinkley Payne with 27 points, nine on free throws.
Brooklyn Orton and Abby Harris both had 12 points each. Avery McNabb had seven points, including the team’s only 3-pointer. Kinley Stiles had one point on an overtime free throw.
The Lady Eagles returned to action Friday night, when they hosted Macon Early College. Coming off of a tough loss earlier in the week, Hiwassee Dam bounced back with a 72-18 win.
The Lady Eagles jumped out to a huge lead in the first quarter and took a 32-4 lead to the second quarter. They followed it up with 12 more points in the second quarter to lead 44-13 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Lady Eagles dropped 17 points to increase their lead to 61-15 heading into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, they added 11 more points.
Leading the Lady Eagles was Harris with 12 points after going a perfect 6/6 from the field. Also in double digits was Orton and Payne with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
McNabb had seven points, while both Leah Taylor and Alyssa Standridge had six points each. Ryleigh Harris and Kinley Stiles had five points each.
Every Lady Eagles scored at least two points, including first career varsity points for multiple players.
Up next
The Eagles will return to action with out-of-state competition.
Tuesday on the road in their first away game when they face Copper Basin. The girls will start at 6 p.m., with the boys game right after.
They will then return home to face Polk County, Tenn., on Thursday. The girls will start at 6 p.m. and the boys game will be played right after.