Blue light special… Blue Devils ring up big win over Rangers
Published 12:27 am Saturday, November 30, 2019
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Star Photo/C.Y. Peters Unaka's Will Sexton glides to the hoop for a basket.
BY C.Y. PETERS
STAR CORRESPONDENT
BLUFF CITY – It’s Black Friday and there are suppose to be specials going on everywhere, but at Sullivan East High School the Unaka Rangers couldn’t buy a basket.
The only thing that went right for the Rangers was they won the opening tip.
The Unicoi County Blue Devils couldn’t miss and the Rangers couldn’t hit. Erwin came out shooting from all over the floor and was connecting on both sides.
Hitting three’s from each corner and 40-footers from out front – a shot you just don’t guard was falling through the nets.
The second half was much worse than the first – Unicoi was getting three and four shots as they outrebounded the Rangers three to one.
It didn’t take Unicoi long to build a ten-point lead and even though they were struggling, Unaka kept the score close in the first half.
They trailed 20-10 at the end of the first and was down 38-25 at the half.
Ryan Johnson wasn’t hitting the threes and William Sexton got in foul trouble in the first and missed most of the second.
The Blue Devils shot 80 percent from the line in the second, hitting eight of ten shots. Unaka only hit seven of twelve and both teams hit four shots from the floor.
In the third, Sexton hit eight straight points and tried to rally the Rangers but a turned ankle sent him to the dressing room.
Unicoi County head coach John Good called for a full-court press that forced the Rangers to make many turnovers, a press they had beat in the first half was now working at full speed.
Seven players would put points on the board for Erwin in the third who scored 28 points to the Rangers 12.
After hitting three more three’s in the fourth, Coach Dugger saw there was no hope for a comeback in this game and sent his younger players in to finish.
Erwin would win the fourth quarter battle as well outscoring Unaka 15-2 for an 81-39 win.
Sexton led the Rangers with 14, Ramsey scored five and Blamo 4. Brock Thompson led Unicoi with 15, Lucas Slagle followed with 12.
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Unicoi Co., 81-39
Unaka 10 15 12 2 -39
Unicoi Co. 20 18 28 15 -81
Unaka: Sexton 14, Johnson 2, Blamo 4, Ramsey 5, Whitehead 3.
Unicoi: Hopson 8, Bridges 3, Thompson 15, Slagle 12, Lingerfelt 7, Hensley 4, Adkins 7, G. Hensley 5, O’Dell 5, Barcel 4, Lynch 8, Holt 4.
Unaka 10 15 12 2 -39
Unicoi Co. 20 18 28 15 -81
Unaka: Sexton 14, Johnson 2, Blamo 4, Ramsey 5, Whitehead 3.
Unicoi: Hopson 8, Bridges 3, Thompson 15, Slagle 12, Lingerfelt 7, Hensley 4, Adkins 7, G. Hensley 5, O’Dell 5, Barcel 4, Lynch 8, Holt 4.
