Cats fall in highly anticipated rematch with Yellow Jackets.
Andrews – With rain pouring down outside, the Ken Solesbee Athletic Center was packed full to the brim on Monday evening, as high school basketball fans from all over western North Carolina flocked to witness the rematch between the Andrews Wildcats and Hayesville Yellow Jackets boys basketball teams.
And the pair of Smoky Mountain Conference teams didn’t disappoint, delivering a heart-pounding game that saw the Yellow Jackets pull away late for a 63-54 win over the Cats.
Through the first two quarters, the match was constantly knotted, with Andrews and Hayesville trading highlight baskets at each end of the floor.
Hayesville center Jake McTaggart, who towered above the Andrews defense, scored all 11 of the Jackets’ first-quarter points, as the Cats opened the game with a small ball line up looking to stretch the floor.
Andrews coach Frank Maennle then inserted center Bryson Holloway, who was coming off a lingering ankle injury, into the line up and Holloway went to work.
Once entering the game, Holloway came up with a big block on McTaggart, then stroked an effortless 3-pointer on the other end.
“I didn’t even know if Bryson was going to be able to play tonight,” Maennle said of Holloway’s return from injury. “He can shoot the ball, I’m telling you. And when he’s able to give us what he did defensively in
the paint, that makes things a lot easier for us.”
Holloway ended up finishing with nine point and made three 3-pointers in his first game back for Andrews.
Headed into the half, the two Smoky Mountain powerhouses were knotted at 26-26, but Hayesville quickly jumped ahead of the Cats in the third quarter.
An 18-7 third quarter gave the Jackets an eleven point lead heading into the final frame, but Andrews refused to go away without a fight.
Behind a 13-point fourth quarter explosion by guard Tucker Holloway, the Cats chipped away at Hayesville’s lead, cutting the deficit to just six points with under a minute left to play.
However, the Jackets would knock down their free throws in the closing possessions of the game, preventing the Wildcats from completing their comeback.
“I’m proud of the way my kids played tonight,” Maennle said after the game. “Hopefully we can get in the playoffs and stick around long enough to see what we can do.”
Andrews looked to end the regular season on a high note against the Murphy Bulldogs on Tuesday, February 11 after the Cherokee Scout’s press time.