by Bryce Phillips

Star Staff

bryce.phillips@elizabethton.com

After maintaining the lead for the most of the game, the Cyclones could not hold on in the fourth during the senior-night thriller, losing 51-44 to the Johnson County Longhorns Friday.

Coming in the final frame, the Longhorns were down one point, before Jose Guzman busted a foul shot  to tie the game up at 37-37. With the crowd going nuts, Longhorns’ Chase Phillips sunk a three pointer to put Johnson County up 40-37. Cyclones’ Tyler Nichols went to the charity stripe twice to put EHS in the lead for one last time, before Phillips hit another triple to send the Longhorns to victory.

“We have been working hard,” Longhorns coach Austin Atwood said. “It might be a day or two early, we like doing these things during district tournament time. That type of effort was good for our kids to come back, when they had gave up 19 in the first quarter. I thought we did a good job in last three quarters defending the ball.”

The Longhorns were led in scoring by Phillips who had 14, he was followed up by Guzman who had 11.

In the first frame, the Cyclones had a seven-point run to put them up 11-4, before closing out the first frame up 19-8.

Johnson County stayed at the foul line in the second frame, going 6 of 9 to close the gap to 24-18 with the Cyclones in the lead.

Guzman busted two three pointers in the third frame to put the Longhorns within one of the Cyclones. The team would battle back and forth until the quarter came to a close with the Cyclones up 37-36.

“We just got complacent,” Cyclones coach Lucas Honeycutt said. “We were up around ten points, and it kept going back and forth. I think our kids just that they were going to give up. But they just kept chipping away at the lead, and we told them that. We told them not to be overlooking because Johnson County is a good team.”

With the loss set aside, the Cyclones celebrated their seniors and their accomplishments.

“It has been a privilege to have those guys come out,” Honeycutt said. “Anytime you have seniors it is hard to let them go. These guys have been with me for three years and that is a long time. You know, you see those guys everyday. It is hard to imagine not having them back next season.”

Nichols led the Cyclones in scoring with 16, followed by Bo Pless with 14.

The Cyclones will return to action Tuesday as they travel to Sullivan South.

Johnson County 51

Phillips 14, Guzman 11, Houser 10, Icenhour 7, Bailie 4, Throop 3, Arnold 2

Elizabethton 44

Nichols 16, Pless 14, Green 5, Robinson 3, Cornett 3, Bowers 3

Johnson County 8 10 18 15 — 51

Elizabethton 19 5 13 7 — 44

3-point goals — Johnson County 5 (Phillips 2,Guzman 2,Icenhour 1) Elizabethton 2 (Nichols 1,Cornett 1)