The David Crockett girls basketball team completed a regular-season sweep of Science Hill for the first time last Friday night – and then it handed the broom to the Pioneers boys.
The Crockett boys (3-2, 11-12) overcame a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation and prevailed, 70-64, in overtime.
The Lady Pioneers (4-1, 18-5) remained in first place in the Big Five Conference with a 49-43 victory.
Brylee Tullock scored 11 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter and fellow freshmen Aaliyah Story tallied 10 rebounds, nine blocked shots and eight points for the Pioneers. Story hit a 3-pointer to start a 12-1 run that gave Crockett a 42-30 lead.
Freshman Laney Britton and sophomore Bell Ferguson scored 10 and eight points, respectively.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever swept Science Hill,” Crockett coach Thomas Gouge said. “So it’s obviously a big deal – from where the program’s been, the history of it, to what they’re doing now. It’s just a big credit to the girls and their buy-in and their toughness and their will to win.
“And Science Hill got one of their better players back in Aniya Pace. She missed the first meeting. And they were coming off three consecutive conference wins over Boone, D-B and West Ridge. So they were feeling good, you know, playing a lot better basketball. And it showed on the court. It was a great battle.”
In the boys game, Reagan Cash made two free throws with 20 seconds left to force overtime and Bradley Gouge scored 28 points.
“It was a great comeback,” Crockett coach Cody Connell said. “We were down 14 with three minutes to go and they were at the line shooting two. … There was a lot of people that left and I don’t blame ‘em. I mean, if I was not a true, true fan, but was just there to watch a game of basketball, you probably don’t stay for that game. …
“It’s like what are the chances we can come back and win this game. But our guys never give up.”
Colin Beason added 11 points for the Pioneers.
Connell was obviously thrilled to sweep Science Hill, which set the standard in Northeast Tennessee for decades.
“I mean, all of my coaches played against Science Hill growing up, and we never even thought about it,” Connell said. “We got drilled every time we played ‘em. We did beat them my second year here with Mason Britton. He had a phenomenal night, went off for like, 30, and we beat ‘em at their place.”
The Daniel Boone girls ended the game on a 14-1 run to defeat West Ridge, 53-41, on Friday night at Boones Creek.
The Trailblazers (4-2, 18-6), who remained in second place in the Big Five Conference, got 15 points apiece from Kyleigh Bacon and Josie Jenkins, the latter of whom made four 3-pointers, including one that gave the ‘Blazers the lead for good at 44-41.
“We wanted to pressure them but we couldn’t make a shot early,” Boone coach Justin Humphries said. “So finally a few dropped there at the start of the fourth … and then shots started falling and we got to get in our press and caused some turnovers.
“I think Kyleigh Bacon missed like her first eight shots, and they were close ones, but she made seven in a row down the stretch, which that’s what we expect her to do, obviously, because when it comes down to it that’s the go-to. We made some big threes and then, of course, finally down the stretch we made the free throws. That was huge. Lillie Walters made nine out of 10 in the fourth quarter.”
Walters finished with 11 points.
Lillie Walters added 11 points for Boone.
The Daniel Boone boys lost 72-63 to West Ridge despite 36 points from Jamar Livingston.
Peyton Long added 10 points for Boone, while Landon Kirkpatrick and Henry Hamlin added eight and seven points, respectively.