Walters State

Lady Senators blast Motlow State 68-32 after 10-day layoff

BY BRIAN HAMILTON MORRISTOWN – Motlow State hung with Walters State in the early going, but a big second quarter would give the Lady Senators the cushion it needed to cruise to a dominating 68-32 win. “Look, I’m just glad to play,” Walters State head coach Jasmin Coleman said after the game. “We haven’t played in a week-and-a-half (Georgia Community Christian College cancelled the January 6 contest), so I’m just glad to play. If you know anything about athletics, having big gaps like that, especially with a newer team, it can be a tougher time trying to develop chemistry.” Motlow …

Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg girls

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 …

Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg-Pittman routes Pigeon Forge in Battle of the Tunnel

BY BRIAN HAMILTON PIGEON FORGE – In the last edition of the ‘The Battle of the Tunnel’, Ty Glasper scored 60 points in three quarters of play, as Gatlinburg-Pittman defeated Pigeon Forge 92-45 on December 5. The junior point guard was more reserved on Tuesday night, going for almost half that total (28) in an 82-40 win over the Tigers, as the Highlanders started the game on a 24-0 run. “Since we had such a big letdown on Friday (66-61 loss to Oneida), we had to go back to the basics,” Gatlinburg-Pittman coach Rashid Moore said after the game. “We …

Lady Lions outlast Maryville in overtime to pick up season sweep over Maryville

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy saw a late seven-point cushion evaporate, as Maryville’s Jada Edwards nailed a game-tying three with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Lady Lions were able to outscore the Lady Rebels 9-3 in the overtime period to come away with a 54-48 win on Friday night. “I thought that fighting back as much as we did, we were definitely missing legs (in the overtime period),” Maryville coach Taylor Clark said. “They did a good job of getting it inside and I think we were a little bit timid in there, more timid …

Alcoa vs West

Alcoa uses strong third quarter to avenge early season loss to West

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – Alcoa used a big third quarter to break open a game that was tightly contested early on, as the Tornadoes outscored West by 15 in the period and went on to preserve a 69-59 win. The win avenges a 73-71 loss in the Alcoa Thanksgiving Classic back in late November. It is worth noting that the Tornadoes were missing starters Eli Owens, Eli Graf and several other football players for that contest. “One of our key points to being successful was a fast start and a strong finish,” Alcoa coach Ryan Collins mentioned after the …