The Cloudland Highlanders traveled to University High to play last night. The girls’ game was a 53-32 runaway for the Highlanders. The boys’ game went into overtime, and the Bucs took that win, 51-49.

GIRLS

In the girls’ game, the Lady Highlanders wasted little time in putting points on the scoreboard. Cloudland’s Patricia Singleton rebounded the ball and sank a short jumper for the first score, only ten seconds in to the game. Lady ‘Lander Payton Johnson worked her left-handed moves for nine points in the first quarter. University High had buckets from Annika Oiler and Elise Howard. The score at the end of the quarter was 18-5, Cloudland.

CHS’s Singleton again started the second quarter scoring with a couple of quick buckets before UH’s Lexi Crouthers, Howard, and Ari Ramsaran  put buckets in for the home team. However, Megan Lunsford swished the net for a trey and Erin Julian hit a baseline jumper for the ‘Landers, followed by Shian Strickland’s three-point play and a long three ball. Highlander Stacia Wilson sank a shot with six seconds left before the half to extend the Highlander lead to 35-15.

The Lady Buccaneers began the third quarter scoring when Ramsaran hit a blocked shot. The Bucs outscored the Lady ‘Landers 10 to 8 points in the quarter, but the ‘Landers still held a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

The last quarter saw the Lady ‘Landers pull away to take the win with the final score, Cloudland 53, University High 32.

Cloudland – 53

Singleton- 6; Strickland-12; Wilson-2; P. Johnson-15; Vines-2; Lunsford-3; Ellis-4; Julian-7; Gouge-2

University High – 32

Oiler-3; Crouthers-5; Howard-9; Newberry-4; Ramsaran-8; Fisher-3

BOYS

In the boys’ game, neither team could seem to find their offensive groove in the first quarter. Though Preston Benfield scored a bucket for the Highlanders, and David Gantz scored for the Buccaneers in the first 30 seconds of the game, both teams went cold, and no one scored again for three and half minutes. The score at the end of one was Cloudland-5, University High-2.

In the second quarter, the Bucs outscored the Highlanders 17 to 7. Gantz had eight of those points for the Bucs. Scoring for the Highlanders were P. Benfield, Brinkley Mull, and Chris Wagoner. The low score going into the half was UH-19, Cloudland-12.

The last half of the game saw more offense from both teams. In the third quarter, the Highlanders outscored the Bucs 13 to 10 points, and that scoring was spread around among Dalton Vines, Colby Birchfield, P. Benfield, and Wagoner. The Bucs saw Gantz, Cooper Mueller, and Dayshawn Hamilton with buckets.

“We played with a lot of resiliency in the second half,” Cloudland coach Gary Harrison. “We just didn’t play well offensively in the second half.”

With two and a half minutes left in the game, P. Benfield hit a jumper to tie the game at 40. Then UH’s Hamilton sank a deuce, and Preston Ongtengco and Hamilton each hit a foul shot to put the Bucs in the lead 44-42. With eight seconds left in regulation, Cloudland’s Birchfield swished the nets for a three pointer to tie the game and put it in overtime.

Mueller sank two free throws in OT for the Bucs. Highlanders P. Benfield and Birchfield put buckets up for CHS, but Buc’s Tom Merriman scored five points in overtime to put UH in the lead 51-49 and take the win.

Cloudland – 49

Arnett-1; Birchfield-16; Mull-3; P. Benfield-15; Wagoner-8; Je. Potter-2; Vines-4; Ja. Potter-1

University High – 51

Hamilton-12; Ongtengco-3; Mueller-4; Merriman-7; Vargo-3; Harless-6; Turner-4; Gantz-12