Andrews – The Hiwassee Dam Lady Eagles (11-3) claimed the Cherokee County championship Friday night, as they defeated the Lady Wildcats (7-6) for the second time in as many meetings, 60-46.
The Lady Eagles were already 2-0 against the Lady Bulldogs of Murphy. So, if there were such a county title, they would have won it.
Andrews played the Lady Eagles hard from the beginning of the game, keeping it even until 3 minutes remained in the first period. However, Katie McNabb went on a scoring frenzy, scoring 11 of her 22 points during the first period to give Hiwassee dam a 6-point lead at the end of the first period.
McNabb hit two 3-pointers, added two field goals and one point for the charity stripe, as she shot 60 percent from the field during the first stanza.
Oliva McNabb, one of Hiwassee Dam’s leading scorers, picked up her third foul midway through the second period, which limited her playing time the rest of the game. After the Lady Eagles went into the half leading 25-18, O. McNabb picked up her fourth foul early in the third period.
Full-court pressure defense in the second half helped the Lady Eagles extend their lead to 42-28 by the end of the third period. Kylie Donaldson tried her bast to get the Lady Wildcats back into the game in the in the second half, getting several steals for Andrews and pumping in 11 points, but it just wasn’t enough as the Lady Cats fell 60-46 to the Lady Eagles.
K. McNabb led all scorers with 22 points. Two other Lady Eagles were in double figures, as Olivia McNabb and Brinkley Payne had 10 apiece. Kylie Donaldson led all Andrews scorers with 14, and Kinleigh Queen had 13 to round out the scoring.
In the boys game
Andrews put on a 3-point shooting clinic as they hit 15 from beyond the arch to give the Wildcats a 74 -24 win over Hiwassee Dam’s Eagles (2-11) on Friday night.
Gabe Clark started the clinic by hitting three of those long-range shots in the first quarter to lead Andrews to a 15-8 lead. Clark pickled up a second foul early in the second quarter and had to sit the rest of the first half.
Cameron Rattler hit four shots from inside the paint, and Ty Clark nailed his first 3-pointer of the night in the second quarter to maintain the Wildcats’ lead. Rattler also controlled the boards for the Cats with 13 rebounds.
Clay Davis accounted for all of Hiwassee Dam’s second-quarter points, as he hit for 12 points. Andrews held a seven-point lead at the half, leading Hiwassee Dam 27-20.
Clark waited till the second half to start the 3-point shooting clinic, sinking three in the third period and added two more in the fourth period, as he averaged 75 percent from beyond the arch. Clark also added five assists. Gabe Clark added two more 3-pointers to give him five on the night. Cameron Rattler added two more, while Jailen Powell and Logan Shuler had one apiece.
Jonah Hamby tried to bring the Eagles back, as he scored 18 of hid 20 points in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. Andrews extended its lead in the third to 52-37 and cruised in the fourth period to net the final 74-54.
The Cats had four players in double figures. Cameron Rattler led all scorers with 20 points and completed a double-double as he grabbed 13 rebounds. Ty Clark had 18 points, all coming off 3-pointers. Gabe Clark had 15 points, with all of his from beyond the arch as well. Jailen Powell rounded out the Andrews’ scorers with 13 points.
The Eagles had three players in double figures – Hamby had 20 points, Clay Davis added 15 and Dawson Headley had 12.