Hayesville – After securing the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Smoky Mountain Conference tournament, the Andrews girls varsity basketball team lost a close game to Hayesville in the second round.
The game was close from the start, but the Lady Yellow Jackets pulled away in the fourth quarter and defeated Andrews 51-41 on Feb. 18.
Hayesville took early control of the game. The Lady Cats got on the board, after nearly six scoreless minutes, when Kylie Donaldson made a 3-pointer. They trailed by six in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Knox Davis drained a late 3-pointer to bring the game within three points heading into the second quarter.
After struggling to score in the opening quarter, Andrews picked up the scoring early in the second. With 3:20 left, Drea Cutshaw hit a 3-pointer to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game.
Cutshaw hit another shot from beyond the arc a minute later to Andrews’ lead to four points. After the Lady Cats took the lead, there was a momentum shift, and they led 22-21 at halftime.
Despite ending the first half with the lead and building momentum to end the half, the Lady Yellow Jackets took the lead early in the second half. Throughout the third quarter, both teams stayed within a few points of each other. Hayesville took a 33-30 lead to the fourth quarter.
Alexis Beasley made a free throw to make it a two-point game early in the fourth quarter, but then Hayesville began to pull away with the lead. Almost two minutes into the final frame, Hayesville built a seven-point lead.
The remainder of the fourth quarter was like playing cat and mouse as Hayesville would pull away for a short time, then Andrews would come within a few points and then the cycle would repeat. The Lady Cats began fouling in the final minute to stop the clock, but the Lady Jackets made free throws to extend their lead. The first 10-point lead of the game came on the final point of the game when Hayesville converted a free throw.
The Lady Jackets advanced to play Cherokee in the conference championship.
The Lady Wildcats were led by Donaldson, who had 15 points. Cutshaw added 13 points, including three 3-pointers in the second quarter. Knox Davis scored eight points, while Beasley had five.
After the game, Lady Wildcats head coach Tim Wood said his team had a good first half and adjusted to what the Lady Yellow Jackets were doing.
“Ultimately, a few key turnovers and a lot of missed opportunities on lay-ups killed our chances. Hayesville has improved, they are well coached, and do the little things well,” he said.
“We have made a lot of progress the last few years, moving from the bottom of the conference to one of the top teams in our conference, so I am still optimistic. We’re a good team that in time will become a great team and not lose games like that, as we continue to grow and improve on the little things over the next few years. The sky is the limit for these girls.”
When mentioning who stood out in the game, Wood added, “I felt like all of our girls who got minutes contributed and did some really good things at times. We got good scoring from Kylie [Donaldson], Knox [Davis] and Drea [Cutshaw], and throughout the game, even though she didn’t have a lot of points, I felt like Alexis [Beasley] played a great game, playing really well on defense and getting rebounds.”
Wood said the Lady Cats will likely travel for their first-round playoff game.
“I believe our first round game could be one we have a chance to win if we get the right matchup. We are going to simply keep on working to get better and tighten some things up offensively and defensively so we give ourselves a shot at a win, whoever we face,” he said.
“Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, I am extremely proud of this group of young ladies, and the effort and commitment they have made to make us one of the top teams in our area, and of their dedication to this program and the community.”
The Lady Wildcats traveled to take on Avery County in the first round of the state 1A playoffs after the Cherokee Scout’s press time Tuesday. Results will be in the March 5 edition of the local newspaper.