Jr. Lady Cyclones walk away with a close buzzer-beater
Published 1:06 am Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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Star Photo/Carter Nagy Jr. Lady Cyclone Adrian Heading calls for help to get the ball inbounds.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Jamira Smalls calls for the ball on the inside for the Jr. Lady Cyclones.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Jr. Lady Cyclone Sadie Williams eyes the basket as she gets ready to put up a free throw.
Star Photo/Carter Nagy Michelle Shields works the basketball up court in Tuesday's contest. Shields hit a buzzer-beating shot to help the Jr. Lady Cyclones advance to the Area 1 championship on Thursday.
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BY CARTER NAGY
STAR CORRESPONDENT
KINGSPORT – The T.A. Dugger Lady Cyclones traveled to John Sevier Middle School to face off against the John Sevier Lady Warriors in the semi-final round of the TMSSA Area 1 tournament.
Michelle Shields kicked off the Lady Cyclones scoring with a series of free throws followed by Jamira Smalls on a contact layup. At the end of the first, the score was a close 5-4 lead for the Lady Warriors.
At the start of the second period, Adrian Heading allowed the Jr. Lady Cyclones to gain a two-point lead off a corner three. Throughout the second quarter, the lead was fought for as the Lady Warriors struggled with fouls.
This helped the Lady Cyclones to gain a 16-11 lead, primarily off of bonus free throws, going into the half.
The third consisted of a lot of fast breaks and steals, as Michelle Shields and Sadie Williams scored a combined five points allowing the Lady Cyclones to stay in the game with the Lady Warriors. The score going into the final quarter was 21-18.
In the fourth Kalli Shepard hit a crucial three to give the Lady Cyclones a four-point lead. The Jr. Lady Cyclones struggled with turnovers in the quarter and their aggressive defense caused them to foul throughout the fourth.
With 18 seconds left, the Lady Warriors cut the Lady Cyclone’s lead down to only one. They then stole the ball and scored yet another layup, putting the Lady Warriors up by one point.
With three seconds left, Michelle Shields hit a game-winning, buzzer-beater to walk away with a close 26-25 Lady Cyclones victory.
The Jr. Lady Cyclones will advance on moving them one step closer to a chance of playing in the state tournament.
