BLOUNTVILLE – The North Greene Lady Huskies have built a tradition of postseason success, and on Monday night, they extended that legacy by securing a spot in the TSSAA Sectional round for the seventh consecutive year. A strong performance led to a 61-48 victory over the Cosby Lady Eagles in the Region 1-1A semifinals at West Ridge High School.
“The Lord has been good to us,” said North Greene head coach James Buchanan, reflecting on his team’s continued success.
True to his humble approach, Buchanan downplayed his role in the program’s achievements. “It sure ain’t nothing I’ve done. I’ve been blessed with great players, supportive parents, a good school, and the administration is second to none.”
Despite Buchanan’s modesty, the Lady Huskies wasted no time proving they were prepared to take another step toward a deep postseason run.
North Greene came out firing, led by a dominant first quarter from Kaydence Marshall, who tallied nine points. Hannah Miller contributed six more as the Lady Huskies built a commanding 22-11 lead after the opening period.
However, Cosby responded in the second quarter with a strong offensive push. The Lady Eagles opened with a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to just four points. North Greene struggled in transition, allowing Cosby to capitalize with multiple fast-break opportunities. By halftime, Cosby had outscored North Greene 18-13 in the quarter, trimming the Lady Huskies’ lead to 35-29.
Cosby continued to fight back, opening the third quarter on a 5-0 run to pull within a single point. But North Greene had an answer. A 7-1 run, led by the hustle and off-ball movement of Loren Blevins, helped restore a more comfortable cushion. Miller remained a force on the boards, securing crucial rebounds and playing tough defense to limit Cosby’s second-chance opportunities.
By the end of the third quarter, North Greene had rebuilt its double-digit advantage, leading 50-40 heading into the final frame.
Blevins set the tone for the fourth quarter, knocking down a three-pointer from the corner following crisp ball movement. However, Cosby refused to go away, forcing a North Greene turnover in the backcourt that led to a quick basket, cutting the lead back to single digits.
As the game wound down, Buchanan designed the offense to flow through Miller, who drew multiple fouls while finishing strong at the rim. She converted an “And-1” opportunity and made 6-of-7 free throws in the final period to help maintain the Lady Huskies’ lead.
North Greene controlled possession for much of the fourth quarter, executing patiently and avoiding low-percentage shots. Meanwhile, Cosby, sensing the urgency of a shrinking clock, attempted several contested three-pointers early in possessions, which played into North Greene’s defensive strategy.
With a comfortable lead secured, Buchanan went to his bench for the final three minutes as the Lady Huskies sealed the 61-48 win, earning a spot in the Region 1-1A championship game against Unaka on Wednesday night. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. at West Ridge.
Miller led all scorers with 22 points, while Blevins added 19 for North Greene. Cosby’s Azariah Spurgeon paced her team with 18 points.
“People are going to think this is crazy, but I’m serious — these games are fun,” Buchanan said. “It’s fun to see families and everybody get happy and excited when you’ve won a game, but I’ll tell you what I like. I like going in there when it’s just us at practice. Watching game film and preparing, and I didn’t want that to stop. So now we have at least two more games. This is just a special group.”
