JOHNSON CITY – The North Greene boys went into Brooks Gym on the campus of ETSU on Thursday night and got District 1-1A play started with an important 55-46 win over archrival University High.
The Buccaneers have been the primary hurdle the Huskies have had to clear in District 1-1A and Region 1-1A play in recent years, and starting league play with a road win over University High had everyone clad in green leaving Johnson City with a smile.
“Anytime you can win on the road against one of the better teams in the league it gives you a leg up,” North Greene coach Sam Tarlton said. “It’s still early but its nice to have the leg up. It’s not how you start but how you finish, but it’s easier to finish well when you start well. This was our first league game, but it was huge league game against a team that has gotten the best of us the last two years.”
Defense set the tone for the Huskies on Thursday as they only allowed 18 points in the first half while stifling some of the Bucs’ top players. Veterans Mason Croley and Andrew Cole were held to a combined eight points, and neither scored in the second half.
“I’m just proud of our defense. Our defense the last week or so has been amazing. They are doing a good job of understanding what we are wanting scout wise and executing it,” Tarlton said. “You have to know their best players and their tendencies. Then we have to know who we can help off of, and when we can help. On top of that getting the first rebound is so important. Lance (Carrico) and Tyler (Britton) did a great job helping, and Jaiden (Bailey), Thomas (Darnell), Yeshua (Vaught) and Isaac (Gaby) did a good job on their best players.”
The night started with Croley sneaking behind Tyler Britton for a steal that he took the other way for a lay in. That was his only made basket in the contest as Lawson Davenport stayed in front of him all night and left his stat sheet empty for the final 31:24.
North Greene’s offense was not quick to get started, but with 3:22 left in the first quarter Lance Carrico slipped a pass to a cutting Davenport who finished off an old-fashioned-three-point play. The free throw put the Huskies in front 6-4 and they played with the lead the rest of the night.
Carrico passed through the defense to a wide open Yeshua Vaught under the basket for a 10-4 advantage. The Huskies finished the opening period leading 10-6.
In the second quarter North Greene’s lead grew to 15-8 with 5:14 left when good ball movement found Carrico open for a triple from the left wing.
Davenport made a free throw that gave the Huskies a 19-11 lead. After Jaiden Bailey nailed a corner trey Davenport gave North Greene its biggest lead of the first half when he got a floater to fall for a 26-13 advantage.
The first half ended with Carrico draining a triple that sent North Greene into the break with a 31-18 lead.
In the third quarter Carrico got the hot hand for North Greene and he dropped in nine points in the period as part of his 24-point night. Those points proved crucial as the lead grew to 44-27 and allowed the Huskies to hold off a late run from the Bucs.
“Every time they made a run we had answer, and we had just enough at the end to hold them off,” Tarlton said. “Lance was great tonight, and that third quarter ended up being really important.”
University High tried to swing the momentum at the start of the fourth frame with Coley Hurley draining a trey and Brady Weems dropping in a jumper from the top of the key in the first minute.
North Greene answered with a driving layup by Thomas Darnell and a pull up jumper from Davenport.
With 4:03 left to play Davenport darted down the middle of the lane for a lay in that put North Greene in front 50-35. After that the Huskies tried to slow the pace of play, but turnovers allowed the Buccaneers to catch up.
Weems caught the hot hand and after he used two steals to score six unanswered points. North Greene’s lead was down to 50-41 with 2:15 left to play.
Darnell broke the streak with a layup for North Greene, but Weems got going again with a runner and then he banked in a triple with 55 seconds left that closed the gap to 52-46.
Going the other way North Greene broke the press and Carrico laid one off the glass, allowing the Huskies to catch their breath. University High did not make another shot, and the Huskies started district play 1-0.
Davenport was also in double figures for North Greene with 14 points on Thursday.
Brady Weems led University High with 25 points, 12 of those came in the fourth quarter.
