BLOUNTVILLE – North Greene entered Tuesday night’s Region 1-1A semifinal with a strong familiarity with its opponent. The Huskies and the Hancock County Indians had already faced off three times this season, but this matchup was different, the Indians were finally at full strength, and it took all North Greene had to earn a 58-51 win at West Ridge High School.
“I told my boys back in January, we’ve played Hancock twice, but that ain’t the same team,” said North Greene head coach Sam Tarlton. “When they get everybody healthy, they’ll be here at the end. You’re going to look up, and that team is going to be in the regional semifinals; they’re going to upset somebody.”
For much of the game, the upset-minded Indians seemed poised to make North Greene their latest victim.
North Greene opened the game with a methodical two-minute possession, securing two offensive rebounds before Lance Carrico was fouled on a shot attempt. He converted both free throws to give the Huskies the first points of the night.
After Hancock County responded with a three-pointer, Carrico answered with a three of his own. Moments later, Lawson Davenport intercepted a pass in the backcourt and converted a layup, giving North Greene an early 7-3 lead.
Both teams then struggled to maintain offensive rhythm. A stretch of turnovers led to a four-minute scoring drought, with points coming only from the free-throw line until Tyler Britton hit a jumper in the final minute of the first quarter. That basket provided a spark, as the Huskies capitalized on consecutive possessions to extend their lead.
Hancock County’s struggles at the free-throw line proved costly early, contributing to North Greene’s 12-8 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The offensive struggles continued into the second period. The Indians finally broke through with a three-point play more than two minutes in, trimming the deficit to one.
North Greene responded with a 6-0 run, fueled by Davenport’s defensive intensity. He picked off another backcourt pass and turned it into points, helping the Huskies rebuild their lead. But Hancock County refused to go away, answering with a 6-0 surge of its own to once again make it a one-point game with under two minutes remaining in the half.
Carrico knocked down a clutch three-pointer with 30 seconds left to extend North Greene’s lead to 21-17. However, Hancock County closed the half with momentum, hitting a free throw before forcing a turnover and converting a buzzer-beating layup to enter the locker room trailing just 21-20.
North Greene came out strong in the third quarter, opening with a 6-0 run before Hancock County answered with another three-point play. The Indians, however, struggled to sustain a scoring run, only managing to trade baskets with the Huskies throughout much of the quarter.
With 1:06 remaining, Carrico scored to give North Greene its largest lead of the night at 36-27. The Huskies’ defense tightened up, holding the Indians to just seven points in the period.
Thomas Darnell was fouled with 10 seconds left in the quarter and sank both free throws, giving North Greene a 38-27 lead heading into the fourth.
Hancock County opened the final quarter on a mission, storming back with a 7-0 run in the first two minutes to cut the deficit to 38-34. The Indians continued to apply pressure, pulling within two points with four minutes remaining.
Both teams traded baskets over the next two minutes, but Hancock County struggled to get defensive stops against the Huskies’ efficient offense.
In the final two minutes, North Greene turned to its free-throw shooting to seal the game. The Huskies made crucial defensive stops and capitalized at the line to maintain their lead.
A late three-point play from the Indians cut the deficit to four, but Britton responded by going 4-for-4 from the line, helping to keep North Greene in control.
With 43 seconds left, Hancock County buried a deep three to make it a two-point game. However, Davenport was fouled on the ensuing possession and calmly knocked down two free throws to give the Huskies some breathing room.
On Hancock County’s next trip down the floor, the Indians missed a potential game-tying three, and Davenport secured the rebound. He was fouled again, making one of two free throws. North Greene then forced another stop, and Carrico’s final pair of free throws secured a 58-51 victory.
With the win, the Huskies advanced to the Region 1-1A finals on Thursday against Cosby and clinched a spot in the TSSAA Sectionals on Monday.
Down the stretch, North Greene’s ability to convert at the free-throw line proved decisive. Head coach Sam Tarlton credited his players—particularly Davenport—for their offseason work in that area.
“Here’s what I’m proud of: If you look back at our state tournament game last year, a lot of these kids were there, and we went 3-of-15 [from the line],” Tarlton said. “I know Lawson [Davenport] was 1-of-9 by himself. But he’s put in a lot of work on that. I know it was Tyler [Britton], Lance [Carrico], and Lawson [Davenport] that closed it out for us tonight, but I always like to highlight Lawson [Davenport] because I think he shot in the 50s (percent) and he’s up to mid-70s (percent) this year. And that’s because of a lot of time and effort, and I’m proud of him for that.”
North Greene will now set its sights on Thursday night’s Region 1-1A championship game, with a chance to add another Region title to the program’s history.
