BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – It looked as it Gatlinburg-Pittman was going to fade into the abyss after a three-point second quarter, which saw Notre Dame take a 7-point lead into intermission. The Highlanders would not go quietly into the night, however, as Gatlinburg-Pittman outscored the Fighting Irish 22-12 in the third quarter and 16-8 in the fourth quarter to win the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic 56-45. “The problem was that we couldn’t make a shot,” Gatlinburg-Pittman coach Rashid Moore said. “We were like 1-for-12 from three at halftime and it didn’t get much better in the third quarter. Once …
Lady Highlanders down Lincoln County 63-36 to win second straight Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic
BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – Many thought that this would be a very tough matchup for the Gatlinburg-Pittman. After all, the Lady Highlanders had to scratch and claw to get a tough 54-52 win over Moore County on Friday night. Many thought they would see a rematch of the GP-Cookeville championship game in the 2023 Christmas Classic. Lincoln County used hot shooting to thwart those plans and defeated Cookeville 69-56. The difference on Saturday evening was that Gatlinburg-Pittman’s threes were falling and the hot shooting from Friday night did not carry over for the Lady Panthers. The Lady Highlanders hit …
Lady Highlanders thrash Cordova (AL) in first round of Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic
BY BRIAN HAMILTON GATLINBURG – While Gatlinburg-Pittman may have been embarking on a defense of it’s 2023 Christmas Classic title, this team is much different than the one that won it a year ago. Last season, the go-to scorers may have been Maddy Newman, Leah Stinnett and Nya Burns, but all of those faces are gone now. This year’s version of the Lady Highlanders has seen three familiar faces step into new roles as dependable go-to scorers, and that is Maliyah Glasper, Addi Wear and Chloe Mejias. Maybe that’s the new ‘Big 3′ for this squad. All are juniors and …
Gatlinburg-Pittman ‘revenge tour’ books Friday night gig in semis after 54-46 win over Smith County
BY BRIAN HAMILTON MURFREESBORO – Gatlinburg-Pittman head coach Katie Moore has called it the ‘revenge tour’. The Lady Highlanders lost two games before Christmas to Sevier County and McMinn Central. Gatlinburg-Pittman avenged both losses in the second meetings of those home-and-home series. The Lady Highlanders lost their district championship to Alcoa. They responded by drubbing the Lady Tornadoes 68-53 in the region final. Moore said that the Elite 8 game was part of the revenge tour also, as GP advanced to the Class 2A semifinals with a 54-46 win over Smith County on Thursday night. “I feel like we have …
Lady Highlanders weather slow start to defeat Pigeon Forge 61-21
BY BRIAN HAMILTON PIGEON FORGE – Gatlinburg-Pittman had trouble getting shots to fall early on, as senior Maddy Newman started the game on the bench. Pigeon Forge was able to stay within striking distance in the first quarter, trailing only 8-4, but Newman began to make her presence felt once she entered the game, as the Lady Highlanders cruised to a 61-21 win in the ‘Battle of the Tunnel’ on Tuesday night. “She missed shootaround and didn’t go to the game Friday (at Oneida) because she was sick,” Gatlinburg-Pittman coach Katie Moore said of Newman coming off the bench. Makaylee …