Lady Highlanders fall to Northview

Published 10:08 pm Friday, February 26, 2016

WEB0228

Sevierville—A fast start by the Lady Cougars was too much for Cloudland Friday night inside Northview Academy.

Behind a 22-point game by Taylor Cotner-Brabson, the Lady Cougars ran out to a 47-36 win over Cloudland to advance into the second round of the Region 1-A Tournament, which will be held inside Chuckey-Doak High School next week.

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“According to the stats we were even with them,” Cloudland coach Lucas Andrews said. “I thought they came out and hit us in the mouth early. We didn’t rebound the ball very well early and that made a big difference.

“They are well coached and they took it to us,” Andrews added. “They held our leading scorer (Shian Strickland) to two points.”

For the Lady ’Landers, senior Payton Johnson led with 12 points, while Patricia Singleton and Trinity Vines both provided 10 points a piece.

With this being the last game of the season for Cloudland it is fitting that both of their seniors, Singleton and Johnson, scored in the double digits.

“We are going to lose two great ones,” Andrews said about Singleton and Johnson. “We are going to miss them a lot. They were a big presence inside. We are going to miss their leadership.”

In the first period, Northview quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead with under five minutes left to play in the first period. Cloudland got on board with a free throw from senior Payton Johsnon, but the Lady Cougars answered with two free throws and a bucket to go up 10-1. Shian Strickland added a bucket to end the quarter with Northview up 10-3.

The Lady Highlanders were able to go toe-to-toe in second quarter, out scoring Northview 12-11. In the opening moments of the second frame, the Lady Cougars’ Emma Lon nailed a bucket, which was answered by back-to-back baskets by Cloudland’s Trinity Vines, making the score 12-7 Northview with more than six minutes left in the first half. A bucket by Brabson and a trey from Kaitlyn Stange allowed the Lady Cougars to climb back out to a ten-point lead. In the final three minutes, Cloudland out scored Northview 8-4, with Johnson providing six of the eight points for the ’Lady Landers. The teams headed into half time with Northview up 21-15.

The third frame saw the Lady Cougars rain in three treys as they out scored Cloudland 11-7 in the quarter. For Cloudland, senior Patricia Singleton scored six of Cloudland’s seven points. At the end of three, Northview led 32-22.

The teams played it close in the final frame, with Northview scoring 15 points to Cloudland’s 14. Playing with more urgency, the Lady ’Landers pressed Northview, while scoring 10 points in the last two minutes, with six of the points coming from Vines. Northview could only muster up five points down the stretch, but it was already too late for a Cloudland come back.

The Lady Highlanders closed out their season with a 14-15 record.

“I am proud of the girls,” Andrews said. “It has been rebuilding time the past two years for Cloudland. They have been under the radar. We improved from last year and I appreciate the effort and work that they did.”

Northview 47-36

Cloudland (36)

Johnson 12, Singleton 10, Vines 10, Strickland 2, Ellis 2.

Northview (47)

Brabson 22, Lon 12, Strange 7, Finnderberg 2, Jones 2, Barnard 2.

Cloudland 3 12 7 14 — 36

Northview 10 11 11 15 — 47

3pt goals—  Northview 4 (Strange 2, Lon 1, Brabson 1).