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Smoky Mountain falls to Bears in semifinals of league tournament
Smoky Mountain’s men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end with a 73-47 loss to Pisgah in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on Feb. 15 at the SM gum.
The Mustangs (7-18) played the defending state 2-A champions on even terms for two and a half quarters. However, a series of turnovers helped the Bears pull away and claim their 51st consecutive victory.
Pisgah’s Jonathan Whitson poured in 34 points, and Jake Robinson had 20.
Smoky Mountain’s Matt Hawkins makes a move to the basket in last week’s tournament victory over North Henderson. – Herald photo by Carey Phillips
The streak ended Friday when Brevard upset the Bears in the tournament finals.
Tyson Crawford, who was named to the all-tournament team, led SM with 19 points, and Cory Siler added 10.
“We changed up the defense a little bit,” Coach Scott Hartbarger said. “Instead of using a traditional box-and-one, we stacked it and clogged up the middle a little bit. We left some of their guys open to shoot, and they couldn’t hit their shots.”
The Bears scored the game’s first seven points, but SM came back with eight in a row, including four by Siler, for an 8-7 edge on Crawford’s basket with 3:30 to play in the first quarter.
The Mustangs led 13-10 on a three-pointer by Martin Davis at the 1:29 mark.
Jarrod Conard converted a three-point play with three seconds on the clock putting Pisgah up 16-15.
SM held a 24-22 edge on Crawford’s basket with 5:49 to go in the second period.
The Bears went up 25-24 when Jake Hollifield scored with 5:14 on the clock and held a 30-27 advantage at intermission.
A follow shot by Matt Hawkins with 6:12 to play in the third stanza put the Mustangs on top 33-32.
Pisgah went ahead for good on Whitson’s layup at the 6:01 mark.
SM was as close as 39-37 following Dillon Dunford’s basket with 4:10 on the clock before the Bears began to pull away.
Pisgah used a 21-2 run the rest of the quarter to break the game open with a 58-39 advantage. Robinson had 12 of those points, including a break-breaking sequence of seven in two seconds. He had a steal and a dunk and was fouled intentionally on the play. After making the two free throws, he took an inbounds pass and drained a three-pointer.
The Mustangs came no closer than 19 the rest of the way.
“Our guys tried to make it all up at once and pushed the panic button,” Hartbarger said.
He singled out Dunford and Hawkins for their defense on Robinson during much of the game.
Crawford made eight field goals, including a three-pointer, and two foul shots. Siler scored all his points from the floor.
Hawkins, Dunford and Martin Davis all scored six points.
SM pulls upset
Crawford scored 23 points helping the Mustangs reach the semis with a 60-50 upset of North Henderson in the first round on Feb. 14.
Siler added 11 points, and Dunford had 10.
Chris Vanlandingham paced the Knights with 12 points.
“Our triangle and two really bothered them,” Hartbarger said. “We got a comfortable lead then they put a press on us, and we let them get back in the game. We made enough free throws at the end to win.”
Neither team could find the range in the first quarter. Crawford put SM ahead to stay 4-2 with 6:23 on the clock. Both teams managed just two points the rest of the period, which ended with the Mustangs leading 6-4.
Two Dunford foul shots ended an 11-1 spurt as SM went up 24-11 with 51.9 seconds to play in the half and maintained a 26-14 advantage at intermission.
Siler’s basket with 2:30 to play in the third stanza produced the game’s biggest margin at 38-20.
SM led 40-24 entering the fourth quarter.
The Mustangs were still in control with a 53-36 lead after Crawford’s basket at the 2:29 mark.
North charged back as Vanlandingham scored eight in a 14-3 spurt cutting the gap to 56-50 when Kenneth Brandt made two foul shots with 41 seconds on the clock.
The Knights had a chance to get closer, but missed a three-pointer.
Dunford hit two free throws to keep SM in front.
Crawford was cited for his play, and Davis and Dunford were singled out for their defense.
Crawford made 10 field goals, including a three-pointer, and two foul shots. Siler hit five field goals and a free throw. Dunford’s points came on two field goals and six foul shots.
Hawkins and Davis both scored six points, and Josh Jones had four.
JVs place second
The Mustang JVs saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end as North Henderson rallied for a 45-42 win in Friday’s tournament finals.
The Mustangs (14-9) led at quarter breaks by scores of 14-7, 18-12 and 27-23 before the Knights rallied.
Trey Shular scored 10 points.
Smoky Mountain’s men’s JV basketball team placed second in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. North Henderson’s 45-42 victory in the finals snapped an 11-game winning streak. – Photo by Mark Haskett
“I so much appreciate the opportunity to coach these young men,” Coach Jim Hartbarger said. “I know they’re going to do well in the future.”
SM used a strong second half to top West Henderson 53-39 in the semifinals. Shular scored 23 points, and C.J. Fortner had 14.
The teams were tied 8-8 after the first quarter, and West led 22-21 at halftime. The Mustangs were on top 38-30 through three periods.
“We were tight and played sloppy the first half,” Hartbarger said. “We settled down defensively in the second half.”
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