ROAN MOUNTAIN – The North Greene Lady Huskies embraced the hostile environment and flourished in it as they walked out of Cloudland’s gym on Friday night with an important 35-24 victory.
“I’m just happy to get the win. I think that locked up first place for us regardless of what happens the rest of the way,” Lady Huskies Head Coach James Buchanan said.
After the gameday schedule was flexed due to a sickness outbreak in the JV boys’ program, the girls’ game was pushed to the last game of the evening. The girls were put into the main event and played like they belonged there with a wire-to-wire win.
The importance of Friday night’s win is that North Greene claimed the No. 1 seed headed into the District 1-1A Tournament and locked up the regular season title. Their overall record improved to 22-3 (5-0) and have won 11-straight games.
“We’re happy about that, but at the same time we’ve tried to use this same motto all year, ‘happy, but not satisfied’,” Buchanan expressed.
It was a typical Cloudland-North Greene game. Low scoring, full of defense, and two sets of rowdy fans. A five-point run from the game’s leading scorer Loren Blevins handed them the lead from the get go. She finished with 10 points.
“This is what we kind of expect when we play them. I told our kids that possessions are so enormous because sometimes you go a long time in between points,” Buchanan mentioned.
Hannah Miller dropped a pair of free throws through the net next. Miller was a main focus of Cloudland’s defense and held her to nine-point total.
Josie Graham made a layup next. She was North Greene’s other nine-point scorer along with Miller. North Greene’ three leading scorers combined for all 11 of their first-quarter points as they led 11-4 after one frame.
The second quarter was a slow one and saw North Greene outscore Cloudland 10-2. Graham’s transition layup was later followed by another Blevins’ triple. Mercy Buchanan sank a three next and helped the lead grow to 21-6 at halftime.
The third quarter had the same result, a 10-2 outcome, but in the opposite team’s favor. Cloudland came back in the third to draw within seven points. It took two and-a-half minutes for them to score, but Makinna Shell scored two and later hit a three to score their first five. Reagan Turbyfill hit another three to pull within seven.
A controversial play occurred towards the end of the third quarter. Confusion on who drew a foul with North Greene in the bonus sent the wrong person to the free-throw line. The original foul was drawn by Mercy Buchanan, but was thought to be called on the defender guarding Hannah Miller. Miller stepped to the line to shoot both free throws and made both. A fuss was caused by Cloudland, but after the first free throw was made nothing could be done to reverse it. The two points stood.
“Hannah thought they called the foul on the girl that was holding her so she just went to the foul line, but Mercy didn’t even know we were in the bonus so she didn’t go to the foul line. I think Mercy was the one who got fouled and their coach found it and pointed it out. But if something like that does happen it’s the responsibility of the official to get the right shooter on the free-throw line,” Coach Buchanan explained. “It was an honest mistake. We owe somebody an apology for that we certainly did not do it intentionally.”
North Greene led 23-16 heading to the fourth.
Their lead dropped to six points, as low as it would go, before a string of six-straight points bumped the lead back up to double digits. Marcy Buchanan laid in a left-handed layup that was followed by other layups from Graham and Miller.
A pivotal point in the game occurred when a technical foul was assessed to North Greene for six players on the court. Confusion led to an illegal substitution attempt that led to six players being on the floor at once. Cloudland made both and received possession back.
“I was at fault on the technical. At first, I wanted to sub for the shooter. You can sub after the first free throw, so they ran a kid in. We didn’t run in because we were waiting on that second shot. Then I changed my mind on who to take out. I told the referee beside me that I’m switching my sub, but the ref underneath had already thrown the ball to our free-throw shooter so I had six on the court,” Buchanan explained.
Another pivotal moment followed as Josie Graham stole a pass and it led to a made free throw to calm Cloudland’s momentum. Reagan Blair hit a three-pointer, but after that North Greene played terrific defense to hold them scoreless for the remainder of the game. The Lady Huskies successfully stalled and even though they only shot 50% (6-of-12) from the free-throw line in the fourth, their defense did more than make up for their woes.
North Greene weathered the storm and hostile crowd to come away with a 35-24 win on Roan Mountain.
Loren Blevins led North Greene with 10 points while MaKinna Shell led Cloudland with 10 also.
North Greene hosts Hancock County for their next game on Saturday night.
BOYS
NORTH GREENE 52, CLOUDLAND 30
With the chance to clinch the top seed in the upcoming District 1-1A Tournament with a win, the North Greene Huskies took care of business on the road and defeated Cloudland 52-30 on Friday night atop Roan Mountain.
The Huskies claimed the No. 1 seed in the District 1-1A Tournament with the win and improved to 21-4 (5-0). Their 5-0 league record helps them mathematically clinch the regular season title with one game left.
“All-in-all it’s great to come in here and come out with a win. I was proud of them for clinching a district title. Just such an enjoyable group to be around. After the adversity we went through earlier in the season with losing Bennett, I probably wouldn’t have told you this would happen. They locked in and we had guys step up,” Head Coach Sam Tarlton stated.
Lance Carrico was the leading scorer for North Greene again with an 18-point night. Nine different players scored in total.
It was made evident early that North Greene didn’t come to mess around. They began the contest with a 12-0 run to break away with the lead. They never once trailed or came close to surrendering the lead.
“I liked our defensive intensity early. We were able to come out how you’re supposed to come out in a game like that,” Tarlton said.
The first quarter was led by Carrico with five, Isaac Gaby with four, then Jaiden Bailey, Thomas Darnell, and Tyler Britton each added two.
The Huskies led 15-4 headed into the second.
A four-point run from Carrico extended their lead to 19-6 before Lawson Davenport scored five-straight through a floater and three-pointer. Carrico came back with another layup later.
Nick Caraway drained back-to-back threes to create a small run for Unaka. Gaby’s layup and Yeshua Vaught’s free throw helped North Greene climb to an 18-point 33-15 lead at the break.
A pair of layups from Thomas Darnell began the second half. North Greene only made three field goals in the quarter, but held their pace. Lance Carrico delivered a put-back layup at the rim for the other made basket. The lead was at 40-19 going into the fourth.
A 9-0 run from the Huskies lifted their lead to 30 points. Carrico scored five in the frame after getting a layup to fall and nailed his second three-pointer. Tim Hillermann made a free throw and Nathan Tolley made a three-pointer to add their names to the stat sheet. The Highlanders finished on an 11-2 run, but the damage was already done.
North Greene won 52-30 at the conclusion. Lance Carrico led North Greene with 18 points, but Nick Caraway scored a game-high 19 for Cloudland.
“There’s a few things we can get better at. Just trying to keep going and try to peak in a week or two,” Tarlton mentioned.
North Greene returns back home tomorrow with a Saturday night game hosting Hancock County.
