BY BRIAN HAMILTON
KODAK – Tuesday night was Northview Academy coach Cory Harkleroad’s birthday and it did not disappoint, as seniors Jaylen Stolz and Ben Pickel gift wrapped 70 points, between the two of them, to propel the Cougars to an 88-78 win over Cocke County.
Stolz finished with a career-high 36 points, while Pickel, who had 34, came up one point shy of his career-high of 35, which he set last week against Austin-East.
“I know Ben and Jaylen both had in the 30s, but we were looking at our stats and a lot of our made baskets — I think all but four — were off assists, so we were sharing the basketball,” Harkleroad said after the game. “Those two (Stolz and Pickel), scoring-wise, we go as they go. Once Ben and Jaylen saw a few go in for them, if they’re both, if they’re open and given an inch, they’re pretty deadly shooters. It also opens everybody else up, and that’s why I feel like we scored a lot of baskets at the rim tonight, because Cocke County is having to worry so much about those two at the three-point line.”
Both teams started the game with hot shooting and Cocke County led 21-15 with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter. Northview would battle back late in the first quarter, however, as a three by Madden Hamilton and a driving layup by Jalen Stolz made the score 23-20 with 1:16 to go. Stolz nailed a three with nine seconds left in the period, tying the game at 25-25 after one quarter.
Northview’s Jaylen Stolz puts up a three, as Cocke County’s Jackson Williams (50) defends. Stolz finished with a career-high 36 points. Photo by Brian Hamilton
Northview would take a 27-25 lead on a layup by Ben Pickel. The Fighting Cocks tied the game at 27-27, but Pickel would hit a three to put Northview back in front 30-27. A fast break layup by Pickel made the score 32-27 and forced Cocke County to call timeout, as Pickel scored seven consecutive points for the Cougars.
Maddox Holt scored for Cocke County to make the score 32-29, but Stolz would answer with a three-pointer to give Northview a 35-29 advantage.
A technical foul on Cocke County would put Pickel at the line for a pair of free throws, which extended the Cougar lead to 37-29 with just under five minutes remaining in the half. The Fighting Cocks would go on a 7-0 run within the next minute to tie the game at 38-38 on a Waylon Fox three-pointer with just over two minutes left until intermission.
Cocke County was hit for two technical fouls late in the quarter, sending Pickel to the free throw line again, this time for four foul shots. The senior converted all four, stretching the NVA lead back to 44-38 with 1:11 remaining.
Stolz then hit a layup to make the score 46-38 and capped off a six-point possession for the Cougars. Pickel was sent to the line twice more late in the second quarter and converted, as Northview ended the first half on a 12-0 run and led 50-38 at the half.
Zach Williams opened the third quarter with a three to cut the Cocke County deficit to 50-41, but a layup by Stolz would push the NVA lead back to 52-43. Another Williams triple would make the score 52-46 with just under six minutes left in the period.
Northview Academy would stretch the lead back to 10 when Aiden Sansevero grabbed a steal and raced to the basket and missed the contested layup, but Dylan Harkleroad was there to put back the miss, giving the Cougars a 56-46 lead.
Northview’s Ben Pickel (1) shoots a free throw during the Cougars’ 88-78 win. The senior shot 10-of-10 from the foul line en route to 34 points. Photo by Brian Hamilton
A three by Stolz, followed by a Sansevero layup would stretch the NVA lead to 62-48 with 3:49 remaining. The Fighting Cocks would not go quietly into the night, however, as Williams nailed another three to make the score 65-59 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter. Northview led 67-60 after three quarters.
Pickel opened the fourth quarter with a layup to increase the Cougars’ lead to 69-60, but another three by Williams would trim the Cocke County deficit to 69-63. Pickel would answer with a three on the other end to stretch the lead back to 74-64 with 5:29 left.
Cocke County would embark on a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter, capped by a Waylon Fox layup, to trim the Fighting Cock deficit to 76-73 with just under four minutes left in the game. Stolz would answer with two consecutive buckets, however, to push the NVA lead back to 80-73.
A basket by Sansevero would stretch the Cougar lead to 82-73, capping a 6-0 NVA run, with 2:35 left in the game. Northview would hold off Cocke County in the final minutes to win 88-78.
Jaylen Stolz led all scorers with 36 points, while Ben Pickel poured in 34. Madden Hamilton chipped in with eight points for the Cougars.
Zach Williams led Cocke County with 23 points, while Waylon Fox finished with 21. Will Sutton added 12 points for the Fighting Cocks.
Northview was playing in its final game without senior point guard Peyton White, who has been sidelined with an injury, but the Cougars received solid play from guards Aiden Sansevero and Madden Hamilton in his absence.
“I was really happy with our guys,” Harkleroad said. “We were down our starting point guard, but I thought Madden and Aiden both stepped up handling the basketball, and Dylan Harkleroad had some huge plays that kept things alive, just hustle plays, and that’s the kind of things that we’ve been lacking lately. It was a really good district win for us tonight.”
Northview Academy (8-13, 2-5 Class 3A District 3) will travel to Carter (11-11, 2-5 District 3) on Friday, in a crucial battle to determine who will finish in the top four in the district.
Cocke County (8-18, 1-8 Class 3A District 3) will host Cosby (17-9) on Friday night.