Indians, Lady Highlanders crowned champions in junior varsity tournaments
Published 10:04 pm Monday, January 4, 2021
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert The Cloudland Lady Highlanders pose with their 2020 13th Annual Mickey Forrester JV Girls Basketball championship plaque after defeating Volunteer in the championship game.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland's Saharra McKinney battles to gain control of the basketball.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Ella Benfield works inside the paint for a Lady Highlander basket.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cloudland's Karah Fields goes up for a left-handed, one-handed jumper in the JV Girls Championship game against Volunteer.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elizabethton's Seth Carter drives between two Dobyns-Bennett defenders.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Nate Stephens goes up for a tough shot against a D-B defender.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elizabethton's Kaleb Hambrick pulls up for a jumper in the JV Boy's Championship game against Dobyns-Bennett.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Dalton Mitchell goes up two points for the Cyclones.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Will Churchill of Elizabethton goes up for a shot during the Cyclones game against Dobyns-Bennett.
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BY NIC MILLER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
After hosting junior varsity high school basketball tournament play for both boys and girls teams over the past two days, Elizabethton High School was the venue for day three of the tournament on Thursday.
Thursday’s games consisted of two championship games, with the boys game between the Dobyns-Bennett Indians and Elizabethton Cyclones taking place at 11:30 am, while the girls contest between the Cloudland Lady Highlanders and the Lady Falcons of Volunteer kicking off at 1 pm.
Things were off to a hot start in the first contest, as both teams were able to find the bottom of the basket early. But a change of pace when defense became the main priority resulted in the first quarter score of 9-8 in favor of the Cyclones.
The second quarter saw the Indians battling with Elizabethton yet again, each possession fighting for the lead. Heading into the locker room, it would be Dobyns-Bennett with the slim advantage, 19-18.
The third period was highlighted by the Indians creating a bit of separation while also adding to the lead with a technical foul on the Cyclones. Going into the fourth, it was 35-27 in favor of Dobyns-Bennett.
After it was all said and done, Dobyns-Bennett would ride their momentum to the end, defeating the Cyclones and taking first place in the tournament by a score of 53-38.
In the win, DB was led by Nigel Vidale with 14 points, followed by Chapel Head with 8 of his own.
In the Cyclone effort, Dalton Mitchell led the team with 10 points, while Nate Stephens scored nine points and Seth Carter dropped eight.
Soon after the first game, it was time for the girls’ championship game, and after the Lady Highlanders jumped out to an early lead, the Lady Falcons were able to bring it right back as the first quarter ended with Cloudland holding a slim lead of 11-10.
The Lady Highlanders were able to widen their margin with a solid offensive performance in the second stanza, going into the halftime break, Cloudland was up over Volunteer, 23-14.
Cloudland continued to assert their dominance on the court, going on to win big over the Lady Falcons and claim first place in the girls’ portion of the tournament, 47-28.
In the win, the Lady Highlanders were led in scoring by Mckinney with 17 points, followed by Benfield who scored 12 points.
