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Pisgah holds off Mustangs in Cleaveland’s return to Canton
Pisgah spoiled Smoky Mountain Coach Jimmy Cleaveland’s return to Canton with a 69-65 Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory Friday.
Cleaveland had tremendous success coaching the Bears the past six years and won a state championship in 2005. He took over the Mustang program prior to this season.
Jarrod Conard scored 23 points for Pisgah, and Tyler Jaynes had 15.
SM’s Dillon Dunford led all scorers with 24. He was joined in double figures by C.J. Fortner with 12, and Rodney McCormick with 10.
Smoky Mountain’s Cort Smith was the Mustangs’ leading rebounder with nine in Friday’s 69-65 loss at Pisgah. – Photo by Mark Haskett
“I was pleased with our effort,” Cleaveland said. “We fought hard. The important thing for us is to look forward and not look back.”
Cleaveland said he saw many people he hadn’t seen in several months when he walked into the gym.
“Once the game started, I didn’t think anything about it,” he said. “It was just another game. I thought our kids handled the atmosphere well.”
When the game ended, Cleaveland and his former players exchanged hugs as a sign of mutual respect.
“The reason I’m doing this is for kids,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about. I’m trying to teach lifelong lessons.”
The Mustangs (14-5, 3-2) used an early 10-1 spurt, the last four by McCormick, to lead 10-5 with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
Pisgah responded with an 8-2 run, including five by Con-ard, to go up 13-12 at the 1:35 mark.
The score was 17-17 at the quarter break.
Eleven unanswered points, including five by Jaynes, put the Bears up 28-19 with 4:10 to go in the half.
SM scored the half’s last six points, including four by Fortner, cutting the gap to 34-33.
The game’s largest lead was 49-40 on Joey Blake’s basket with 2:03 to play in the third quarter, which ended with the Bears up 53-45.
Fortner’s four points keyed an 8-0 run, capped by Colton Hunt’s 17-footer, for a 55-55 tie with 4:57 to play.
The Mustangs turned the ball over on their next two possessions, and baskets by Austin Moore and Blake gave Pisgah the lead for good.
Dunford made seven field goals, including a three-pointer, and nine foul shots. Fortner hit five field goals and was two of two from the line. McCormick scored all his points from the floor.
Martin Davis finished with seven points, Hunt followed with six, Cort Smith scored four and Josh Jones had two.
McCormick and Smith both had nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end. McCormick also had three steals. Dunford and Hunt both handed out three assists.
The Mustang JVs fell to 10-5 with a 38-25 loss. The Bears led at quarter breaks by scores of 7-2, 18-6 and 27-21.
SM’s Josh Ammons and Hunter Hodgin had six points apiece.
“Overall, it wasn’t bad defensively, but offensively we just couldn’t score at all,” Coach Adam Phillips said. “Now it’s time to get ready for the next round of the conference.”
He singled Matt Dougherty out for his defense against Pisgah’s best player.
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