Spring Garden’s Cooper Austin concentrates on a free throw late in the fourth quarter of the Panthers’ Cherokee Invitational game against Cherokee County on Saturday. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
GAYLESVILLE – Cooper Austin connected on a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 19 points to lead the Spring Garden Panthers to a 48-44 win over the Cherokee County Warriors in the Cherokee Basketball Invitational on Saturday.
Weston Kirk added 11 points for the Panthers. Ryley Kirk came away with five points.
Nas Diamond led the Warriors with 12 points. Malachi Horton contributed seven points. Jaden Wilson, Connor Elrod and Damien Ramsey each finished with six points. Jack Amos had five points.
A low-scoring first quarter yielded an 8-6 Spring Garden lead. The Panthers maintained the lead at halftime 21-18, but the Warriors forged out in front at the end of the third quarter 35-32. Spring Garden went on a 16-9 run in the fourth for the final.
Spring Garden takes on Chattooga, Ga., on Monday at 4 p.m. Cherokee County battles Sand Rock on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Cedar Bluff 61, Gaylesville 55
GAYLESVILLE – The Cedar Bluff Tigers held on for a 61-55 victory over Gaylesville Saturday in the Cherokee Basketball Invitational.
Jacob Burleson topped the Tigers with 19 points. Anbre Leek added 17 points and Bucky Leek came away with 11 points. Eli McFry connected on a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points.
Jacob Gordon led all scorers and the Trojans with 23 points, including three treys. Keylon Higgins had 17 points. Kyler Bradley finished with five points.
The Tigers led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter, but the Trojans battled back to things up at halftime at 26. Cedar Bluff held a 43-39 advantage at the end of the third quarter and held on down the stretch for the final.
Cedar Bluff plays Chattooga, Ga., on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Gaylesville takes on Collinsville on Monday at 5 p.m.
Sand Rock 65, Collinsville 35
GAYLESVILLE – Garyn Sharpe and Jacob St. Clair both netted 17 points to pace the Sand Rock Wildcats to a 65-35 win over Collinsville.
St. Clair connected on three 3-pointers for Sand Rock. Logan Wood sank a pair of treys and had 10 points. Kaden Justice and Gunner Cox finished seven and five points respectively.
Colton Wills canned five treys and led Collinsville with 19 points. Jacob Jones had a pair of 3-pointers and had eight points. Malachi Orr finished with six points.
Collinsville led by a point at 11-10 at the end of the first quarter, but Sand Rock went on a 21-7 second-quarter run to pull ahead 31-18 at halftime. The Wildcats outscored Collinsville 20-10 in the third quarter to take a 51-28 edge into the fourth.
Sand Rock battles Cherokee County on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Collinsville takes on Gaylesville on Monday at 5 p.m.
Cherokee County High School’s Malachi Horton drives to the basket against Spring Garden in the Cherokee Invitational on Saturday at Gaylesville. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
