Andrews – The Wildcats had what seemed to be a pretty typical win over Highlands on Saturday night.
Andrews rode some hot three-point shooting early to build a lead and kept the Highlanders at bay before making one final push to pull away late. In between were the typical ups and downs that come with basketball, especially as teams start to prepare for the final stretch of the regular season.
But while the game was normal on the court, the past 11 days have not been typical. Between COVID-19 cases and bad weather, that’s why Andrews head coach Matt Maennle was excited to see this key stretch of the season start off on the right note, a 62-44 win.
“You could tell it had been a while since we played,” Maennle said. “Early on we played well, shot the ball better early on, thought we got tired because we hadn’t played much but it was good to come out with a win.”
After beating Blue Ridge 70-16 on Jan. 11, the Wildcats (7-8 overall) did not practice again until eight days later due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Andrews was set to play at Tellico Plains, Tenn., on Jan. 20, but the game was postponed due to the potential for overnight freezing on roads. Cherokee County canceled school the next day, pushing the Wildcats’ game against Highlands (4-10) back a day.
“When we did get into the gym, we got some good work done while we were here,” Maennle said.
Andrews never trailed in this game, and at times looked like a team trying to get their basketball legs back under them. The Wildcats hit four three-pointers in the opening period and led 19-13, and in the opening minutes used a press that flummoxed Highlands.
The Highlanders responded by pushing the pace themselves and continuing to hang around. A strong second quarter by Isaac Weaver kept Highlands at bay, and Austin Martin’s three-pointer at the buzzer extended the Wildcats’ lead to 39-25 at halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Andrews tired and Highlands made a push. With the three-point shooting drying up, the Wildcats started to run plays with quick ball movement to get the ball inside, leading to a 47-32 lead. But Highlands responded with an 7-0 run to cut the lead to eight early in the fourth quarter.
Maennle called a timeout, though Andrews was called for a five-second violation when trying to inbound the ball immediately afterwards. Highlands missed a shot on the next possession, and Andrews streaked down the floor, with Donovan Bateman catching a lob and finishing it for a layup.
The two teams would trade the next three baskets, and Nathan Keener’s steal and score with about four minutes remaining was the last shot the Highlanders would hit from the field. Andrews closed the game on an 11-1 run. Weaver led the Wildcats with 19 points, Bateman had 15 and Kegan Ellis had 10.
“We’re young and they scrapped and played fantastic defense,” Maennle said. “(Highlands) had a couple kids make some tough shots to keep it close for longer than we’d like it to be. Overall it was a good win, and I’m happy with the kids’ effort.”
Andrews was scheduled to play host to Hiwassee Dam and Hayesville on Monday and Tuesday, the results of which were not available until after this week’s edition of the Cherokee Scout went to press. The Wildcats host Swain County on Friday.