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(Kelli Graves * Clay County Progress) Jake McTaggart leaves an Eagle in his wake as he rumbled up the floor.
For the third time in four days the varsity Yellow Jacket basketball team saw action as they travelled to Hiwassee Dam Tuesday, Jan. 7. Hayesville entered the game as the favorite to win, but with a huge showdown with Andrews looming, some wondered if the Jackets would look past the Eagles. Hayesville quickly squashed that question and the Jackets cruised to a 73-33 win.
It was apparent early that Hayesville had no intention of falling victim to an upset. Hiwassee Dam struggled to keep up with the Jackets' high powered offense and Hayesville's defense limited the damage done by the Eagles. The first quarter ended with Hayesville possessing an 11 point lead, up 19-8.
The Eagles were more successful in creating open looks at the basket in the second quarter and put up a respectable 13 points before the end of the half. On their end of the court, the Jackets maintained their first quarter performance with another 19 points and carried a 38-21 lead into the break.
Unfortunately for Hiwassee Dam, the pause in action didn't cool Hayesville's offensive attack. The Jackets used strong defense and good ball movement to expose gaps in Hiwassee Dam's game plan execution and added 21 points to their total. The Eagles scored 10 points in the quarter, but the host team headed into the final quarter trailing 59-31.
The good news for the Eagles was that the fourth quarter was the worst of the game for Hayesville as the Yellow Jackets added 14 points to their side of the scoreboard, which was still a good number. The bad news for Hiwassee Dam was that they too had their lowest scoring quarter. A total of 2 points in the stanza sealed the Eagles fate and Hayesville headed home with a 73-33 win.
A battle for the top spot in the Smoky Mountain Conference awaits the Jackets as they will host Andrews Friday, Jan. 10. Start time is scheduled for 8 p.m. and a large crowd is expected in The Hive.
Leaders at Hiwassee Dam
Jake McTaggart: 16 points
Paul White: 12 points
Kolbe Ashe: 11 points
Hayden McClure: 11 points