It was a busy week for the Hiwassee Dam varsity basketball teams, playing a three-game week with only one game at home.
The Eagles started their week on the road at Copper Basin, Tenn., then returned home to face Polk County, Tenn. They wrapped up the week on the road at Swain County.
Boys
With a big first half against Copper Basin, the Eagles took a 37-19 lead to halftime. They continued to score in the second half to extend their lead.
In the third quarter, Hiwassee Dam added 15 points and held the Cougars to only four. They added 19 more points in the fourth quarter and held the Cougars to only six en route to a 71-29 victory.
On Thursday, the Eagles lost a tough game to Polk County at home.
The Wildcats opened the game with a 23-point first quarter, then followed it up with 25 points in the second to lead 48-17 at halftime. Polk County added 23 more in the third quarter to take a 71-22 lead to the fourth. The Eagles outscored the Wildcats 9-1, but it wasn’t enough as Polk won 72-31.
The Eagles were back on the road Friday and suffered a tough 68-67 loss. Both teams battled through all four quarters as Swain County won its first game of the season.
Girls
The Lady Eagles started the week with a tough loss to Copper Basin on Dec. 2 for their second loss to the Cougars this season.
With 12 points in the first quarter, the Lady Eagles took an early lead. The Cougars fought back with 15 points in the second quarter to lead 24-19 at halftime.
Out of halftime, the Cougars came out and scored 26 points to extend their lead. They added 21 more points in the fourth quarter to win 71-33.
On Thursday, they returned home to face Polk County and fell in a close game. It was a back-and-forth first half, as neither team took a large lead.
In the second half, they continued to battle. The Lady Eagles took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Lady Wildcats regained it early in the quarter and went on to win 67-63.
The Lady Eagles wrapped up their week with a win over Swain County on the road Friday.
It was close in the first quarter, then the Lady Eagles began to pull away. Leading by one point heading into the second quarter, Hiwassee Dam scored 15 points to take a 28-20 lead to halftime.
Thanks to 24 points in the third quarter, the Lady Eagles extended their lead to 52-33 heading into the fourth. Hiwassee Dam closed out the game in the fourth quarter to win 68-48.
It was a big scoring night for Brinkley Payne and Brooklyn Orton, as they both scored more than 21 points, Payne with 31 and Orton 23. Abby Harris was also in double digits with 11 points.
Up next
The Lady Eagles will return home for their next game, as they host Rosman on Friday. The girls are set to begin at 6:30 p.m., with the boys playing right after.
They will then hit the road Tuesday as they head to Clay County to face the Hayesville Yellow Jackets. The girls tipoff at 6:30 p.m., while the boys play directly after.