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Cherokee outlasts SM for 87-82 win
Cherokee outlasted Smoky Mountain 87-82 in a non-conference basketball game last Thursday at the SM gym.
Josh Crowe paced the Braves with 23 points. Providing scoring support were John Davis with 13, Kyle Lossiah with 12 and Joey Owle with 11.
The Mustangs were led by Cory Siler with 22 points. Also in double figures were Tyson Crawford and Dillon Dunford with 13 apiece, Matt Hawkins with 11 and Josh Jones with 10.
Cherokee never trailed, but SM battled back several times and tied the game twice in the last three and a half minutes.
The teams combined for 55 points in a run-and-gun fourth quarter.
“We got down then we tied it up,” Coach Scott Hartbarger said. “That’s the time you’ve got to keep your poise and execute. We just didn’t do that, and we didn’t hit our free throws.”
Dunford hit a pair of three-pointers and two free throws as the Mustangs closed within 66-65 at the 5:21 mark.
They tied it 73-73 on Hawkins’ follow shot with 3:24 on the clock and again at 79-79 on Crawford’s basket with 1:50 to play.
Crowe converted a three-point play putting the Braves in front for good, 82-79, with 1:32 remaining.
Siler’s fast break layup made it 82-81 with 38 seconds on the clock.
Drew Grant hit two free throws with 29.8 seconds to go, and Davis did likewise with 20.2 seconds left to seal the win.
Cherokee used a 10-2 run, including five by Grant, to lead 20-10 after Owle’s basket with 53 seconds to play in the first period.
The Braves were up 22-15 at the quarter break.
Four straight points by Jones cut the gap to 29-27 with 4:51 to play in the half.
Cherokee regained the momentum and went up 39-30 on a Davis trey at the 1:27 mark before taking a 41-35 lead to the dressing room.
The Braves held a 56-47 lead after Joe Rattler’s fast break layup with 2:39 left in the third stanza.
Siler’s free throw brought his team within 56-52 at the 1:48 mark.
Cherokee was up 60-54 entering the fourth quarter.
Siler’s points came on 10 field goals and two free throws. Crawford hit four field goals, including a trey, and four foul shots. Two of Dunford’s three field goals were treys, and he made five of six free throws. Hawkins connected on five field goals and a foul shot. Jones hit three field goals and four of four free throws.
Martin Davis finished with seven points, C.J. Fortner scored three, Taylor Gilleland had two and Dayne Bowers made a foul shot.
The Braves won the JV game 49-34. They led at quarter breaks by scores of 15-10, 26-20 and 45-25.
Cort Smith scored 12 points for SM.
“The only thing we can do is continue to try to work hard at practice and try to get better,” Coach Jim Hartbarger said. “Most of our big kids are out sick so we didn’t get any rebounds. Plus, we missed 17 layups.”
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