Gary Corsair • Progress Hayesville's Isaac Chandler drops in 2 of his game-high 22 points against Hiwassee Dam.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville’s boys snapped a three-game losing streak by parlaying their best first quarter of the season into a convincing 67-54 victory over Hiwassee Dam last Tuesday on the road.
Jacob “The Cure” McClure was the best of the best in that momentous first act. McClure busted four three-pointers in six tries and scored a two-pointer as his teammates rotated the ball, ran their cuts and screened with disciplined precision.
McClure’s hot hand produced three consecutive treys in the span of :58 in the middle of the first quarter. His third home run gave the Yellow Jackets an 11-0 lead.
McClure pumped in 14 first-quarter points as Hiwassee Dam failed to crowd him as he bombed away from the corner.
When the Eagles finally paid McClure the proper attention, Isaac Chandler went to work, hitting three shots in a row, clearing three rebounds and making a steal. He finished the period with 7 points.
While the Hayesville offense clicked like a New York subway turnstile, the defense was tighter than a penny-pinching miser.
Hiwassee Dam missed its first five shots as each Yellow Jacket made the zone his own. Hayesville refused to allow follow-ups. Slade Crouch grabbed five of the host’s errant shots and Asher Brown, Isaac Chandler and Luke Lee each snared a defensive rebound.
The Yellow Jackets floored Hiwassee Dam 23-8 with 4-of-6 field goal popping, 5-of-9 firing from behind the three-point arch in the opening quarter.
The Jackets were even more impressive from the free throw line once they got there in the second quarter. The Black-and-Gold made 14-of-17 from the charity stripe.
Fantastic free throwing helped Hayesville stay one step ahead of Hiwassee Dam. So did clean floor play. The Yellow Jackets only committed seven turnovers.
Chandler led the victors with 22 points. McClure added 17. Landon Hughes added 9 points on three three-pointers. Brown tallied eight, Crouch seven. Lee had two points.
Brown and Chandler were perfect from the line. Crouch hit 5-of-6 freebies.
Hayesville improved to 8-6. Hiwassee Dam dropped to 2-11.
The Yellow Jackets host Nantahala on Friday, travel to Andrews next Tuesday and visit Murphy on Friday.