By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
The JV Lady Jackets came oh so close to winning a thrilla in the ‘Ville-a when Cherokee came to town Friday and escaped with a 32-29 overtime victory.
The two teams battled to a 28-all standoff during regulation, then took turns missing shots for most of the overtime period before Cherokee made a free throw at :34.8 for a 1-point lead. Hayesville came right back with a freebie by Kadence Morrow to tie the score with :29.5 showing but Cherokee answered with a knockout punch in the form of a 3-pointer with 18 ticks on the clock.
Hayesville ran a play to get a 3-pointer at :02 but failed to get the points.
Neither team seemed interested in claiming a win during the final frantic moments of regulation. Cherokee missed a pair of free throws with 1:13 on the clock and Hayesville was 0-for-3 from the field in the final minute.
Few would have expected such a nail-biter after Cherokee won the first quarter, 11-1. The situation wasn’t much better at halftime: Cherokee 24, Hayesville 8.
The Lady Jackets made a game of it by reducing turnovers and by outscoring the Lady Braves, 13-2, in the third quarter.
Micalynn McClure led the third-period uprising with six of her team-leading 12 points.
Morrow and Ava Moore scored 5 apiece. Jasmine Brooks tallied 3. Olivia Free and Aaliyah Jackson scored 2 each.
Hayesville 36, Swain 21
The Lady Jackets got off to a much smoother start at Swain on Tuesday.
Free led the victors with 11 points and Jackson banged home three treys for 9 points.
Moore added 8 points on 4-of-4 free throwing. McClure and Morrow had 3. Kara Bauer added a pair of free throws.
Hayesville didn’t exactly burn down the barn but kept the Maroon Devils on their heels by bettering Swain in turnovers (Hayesville had 12, Swain 19).