Hayesville Middle School saw mixed results when its Lady Yellow Jacket basketball team faced off with conference opponents. Hayesville made the trip to Rosman Thursday, Dec. 12 and had a long ride home after losing 41-32. The agony of defeat was short-lived as the Lady Jackets got back in the win column Monday, Dec. 16 by besting Hiwassee Dam/Ranger 36-29.
In Rosman, it looked like Hayesville was going to be the team to beat early on. Although the first quarter was close, the Lady Jackets led at the horn 12-11. From that point on, Hayesville struggled on offense, a fact the Lady Tigers took advantage of. Rosman doubled up the Lady Jackets in the second quarter, 12-6 and held a 23-18 lead at the break.
The third quarter was a continuation of the second with the Lady Tigers continuing to extend their lead. As the teams took the court for the final quarter, Hayesville found themselves trailing 3-24. Scoring improved slightly for the Lady Jackets and they managed to win the quarter with 8 points. Unfortunately Rosman’s 7 points minimized the damage and handed Hayesville the 41-32 loss.
After a weekend to dwell on the loss, the Lady Jackets faced off with Hiwassee Dam/Ranger — a team that has been a thorn in Hayesville’s side. A win over HDR earlier in the season gave the Lady Jackets a confidence boost but coach Tammy Dills made sure her team knew they would have to play hard to win. The first quarter was an exciting one with both teams forcing turnovers. Before the quarter ended, Hayesville managed to hold a 7-6 lead. Quarter number two saw a huge shift in momentum with HDR taking advantage of the Lady Jackets’ rebounding struggles. Able to get multiple shots at the basket, HDR took the quarter 14-8 and led 20-15 going into the locker room for halftime.
Following the break, Hayesville’s execution on the floor improved which led to numerous scoring opportunities. The Lady Jackets went on an 11-5 run to retake the lead, 26-25. That 1-point lead was anything but safe as the two teams battled in the final quarter. Hayesville stepped up on defense when it mattered, holding HDR to 4 points. On their end of the court, the Lady Jackets had a solid quarter with 10 points to nail down the 36-29 win.
Dills’ team will enjoy an extended break before returning to the court Tuesday, Jan. 7 to host Towns County at 4 p.m.