Although it was cold and snowy outside, inside John Treadway Gym the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones were stoking the furnace, or should I say the basket, creating a blast of heat the Science Hill Lady Hilltoppers couldn’t quench.

It was only fitting that the five seniors led the charge on Senior Night for the Lady Cyclones as Elizabethton scored 63-first-half points on their way to an easy 95-42 victory.

Emily Kiser hit 7-of-9 three-point attempts in the first half to set the early pace for the Lady Cyclones. Kayla Marosites collected 16 points, Melenda Perry nine, Emily Schubert eight, and Kelci Marosites seven in the opening 16 minutes of play.

“It doesn’t hurt when you’re shooting it well,” stated Lady Cyclone head coach Len Dugger. “Of course Kiser is still on fire and I hope she don’t quit shooting like that until July 4^th.”

LeAnn Scharberg led the Lady ‘Toppers (6-6, 17-12) in the half with nine points. Abbey True added six.

The second half was much of the same as the starting five seniors continued to put on a show for their parents and a special guest in University of Tennessee Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick who was in attendance.

Elizabethton (11-0, 26-0) outscored the visitors 32-18, and it could have been worse had not Dugger called off the Lady Cyclone attack with five minutes left to play.

“It’s a bittersweet night because this was one night that I haven’t been looking forward to,” said Dugger in reference to it being Senior Night for this special group of Lady Cyclones. “We started out like we didn’t know how to play, and I took a little timeout and I said guys are we going to be clowns tonight?

“I figured they wouldn’t be focused because there was too much hoopla going on. I think that shows you what kind of kids they are. They went back out there and settled in and played real well.”

Kayla Marosites finished the contest with 26 points while Kiser was hot on her heels with 24—all coming from an 8-of-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc.

Kiser has made 23 treys in the last four games.

Kelci Marosite added 15 points and Schubert worked the paint for 13 points on the evening. Perry missed double figures by a single point finishing with nine points.

Scharberg finished the game with 15 points to lead Science Hill. Hannah Rodgers chipped in with eight in the loss.

Dugger was especially complementary of not only his kids but the parents of his players.

“We talk about the kids and what they do and the commitment they have made and the work ethic, but the kids have great parents, and we are very fortunate and blessed some of the best parents in the whole wide world,” added Dugger.

“I am so appreciative and thankful for that. Our parents go with us wherever we go and grandparents as well. It’s just not about their kids, it’s about all the kids.”

The Lady Cyclones close out the regular season on the road at Johnson Co. today.

Boys

Science Hill…..52  OT

Elizabethton….50

The nightcap was thrilling right down to the final horn in overtime as the Science Hill Hilltoppers skated to the bus with a two-point victory which was in doubt until the final horn as Michael Robinson’s three-point attempt bounced off the front of the iron as the final horn sounded.

The Cyclones (9-2, 15-10) led for two and a half quarters of play before the ‘Toppers (9-3, 19-9) behind Peyton Wingate’s three treys in the third period pulled the Johnson City visitors even at the end of the third quarter, 30-30.

“I thought we were really physical for three and a half quarters,” stated Cyclone head coach Lucas Honeycutt. “Somewhere in the third quarter that changed, and they came right back at us and hit a few shots, and we lost Wingate a few times there.

“He’s a great player, and we got to make sure where he is at.”

With a huge crowd on hand and a student body that was as boisterous as they have been all season, Elizabethton showed a never-say-die mentality with the fourth quarter dwindling down and the ‘Toppers in front by five points 45-40 with 1:32 left to play.

Wingate helped the Cyclone out in a big way as he was fouled but swung an elbow and was whistled for a technical foul.

He missed the front end of a one-and-one with senior Bo Pless going to the line to hit the two technical foul shots.

The Cyclones got the basketball back and with time running down, Teve Mushayamunda lofted a trey that missed but Pless got the ball behind the arc and drilled a trey to even the game with 20 seconds left to play.

Wingate tried to work for the winner but was stopped in the corner by a swarming Cyclone defense as the horn sounded to send the game to a four-minute overtime session.

The ‘Toppers worked to the two-point lead behind a Holden Hensley trey and four points from Chris Linville.

Elizabethton had the ball with four seconds remaining, and Robinson almost sent the crowd into orbit with the final shot that barely missed for the win.

Pless led all scorers with 24 in the contest while Robinson was the only other Cyclone in double-digits with 12.

Wingate had 19 to lead the ‘Toppers with Hensley adding 12.

“We have the mindset that things happen for a reason,” said Honeycutt. “The losses we had this season, we’ve learned something from. The schedule this year was probably the toughest one we’ve had since I have been here. I think the kids have done a great job with it.

“Momentum is huge,” added  Honeycutt. “I don’t think momentum was jeopardized in this game. This game was a high-energy game. Momentum is still there. The kids are playing so hard.”

——

GIRLS

Elizabethton, 95-42

Science Hill (42) 

Isabel Hawley 3, Abbey True 6, Jackson Whiteside 6, Courtney McCurry 3, Hannah Rodgers 8, Aysha Redford 1, LeAnn Scharberg 15.

Elizabethton (95) 

Kayla Marosites 26, Kelci Marosites 15, Emily Kiser 24, Emily Schubert 13, Melenda Perry 9, Haley Burleson 6, Ashley Depew 2.

Science Hill….….. 9   15    8   10 – 42

Elizabethton……31   32   25    7 – 95

3-PT GOALS: Science Hill 3(Abbey True 2, Isabel Hawley). Elizabethton 15 (Kayla Marosites 3, Melenda Perry, Kelci Marosites 3, Emily Kiser 8).

 

BOYS

Science Hill, 52-50

Science Hill (52) 

Nate Jackson 1, Holden Hensley 12, Bowden Lyon 1, Colby Martin 2, Chris Linville 9, Ethan Lyle 4, Peyton Wingate 19, Tate Wheeler 4.

Elizabethton (50) 

Michael Robinson 12, Teve Mushayamunda 4, Tre McCrary 2, Hayden Townsend 2, Alex Norwood 6, Bo Pless 24.

Science Hill….…  6     9   15  15  7 – 52

Elizabethton……14   12    4   15  5 – 50

3-PT GOALS: Science Hill 7 (Peyton Wingate 5, Holden Hensley 2). Elizabethton 4 (Bo Pless 2, Michael Robinson 2).