Cyclones dealt loss by Cougar uprising
Published 11:51 pm Monday, January 25, 2021
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
The game of basketball sometimes is hard to understand. Take for example of how a team can beat another team by 20-plus points in one contest and then the next time the two get together the team on the losing end the first time takes a surprising win over the first game’s big winner.
It doesn’t make much sense but it happens and if one doesn’t believe it just ask the Elizabethton Cyclones who handily defeated the Sullivan Central Cougars in the first contest but found themselves on the short end in the rematch, 64-56.
The Cougars set the tone right off the tipoff as they simply were unstoppable in building a 21-9 lead in the game’s opening eight minutes of action.
Joltin Harrison hit a trifecta of treys in the quarter to jump-start the Cougar offense. Ty Barb added six points in the period as well.
The Cyclones seemed to stem the tide in the second period as they outscored the visiting Cougars 15-12 to make it a 33-21 game going into the break.
Seth Carter and Jake Roberts led the Cyclones in the first half with seven points apiece Nate Stephens dropped a trey as well in the first 16 minutes.
The Cyclones came out of the break and shaved six more points off the lead in the third quarter outscoring the Cougars 16-10 to make it a 43-37 game heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Unfortunately for Elizabethton on Homecoming Night 2021, the Cougars were able to maintain their advantage to pull the upset of the state’s eighth-ranked Cyclones.
Four Cougars had double-digit scoring in the contest led by Harrison with 18 points while Barb finished with 16. Ethan Lane and Harrison Sherfey matched each other with 12 points each in the game.
Roberts and William Willocks each scored a dozen points apiece to pace the Cyclones. Nicholas Wilson and Seth Carter also added 11 points each in the loss for the Cyclones.
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Central, 64-56
Central (64)
Ty Barb 16, Joltin Harrison 18, Preston Sams 4, Ethan Lane 12, Harrison Sherfey 12, Danson Arnold 2.
Elizabethton (56)
Jake Roberts 12, Brayden Phillips 3, Nate Stephens 3, Seth Carter 11, Bryce VanHuss 4, William Willocks 12, Nicholas Wilson 11.
Central………. 21 12 10 21 – 64
Elizabethton.. 9 15 16 16 – 56