HHS varsity basketball teams fall to Cherokee on Homecoming
Though they were close games for both Highlands School varsity basketball teams, both teams fell to Cherokee High School on Friday nights Homecoming matchup.
Varsity girls:
Highlands – 49
Cherokee – 52
The Lady Highlanders could not finish a comeback on Friday night against Cherokee High School, falling 52-49.
In the first period, the Lady Braves jumped up to a 5-0 lead, before Julia Schmitt hit a jumper to cut the lead 5-2.
Ava Schmitt hit a free throw to make it 5-3 before Bella Branham had an and one to take the lead 6-5.
A steal and breakaway from CHS made it 7-6, but Ezra Branham had a layup with 2:05 left in the first period to make it 8-7.
CHS answered to regain the lead 9-8 until Beatrice Bryson sunk a free throw to tie it up at 9-9.
CHS had a layup to take the lead 11-9, but Bella Wilson hit a jumper at the buzzer to tie things up going into the second period 11-11.
The Lady Braves opened up the second period with two layups to go up 15-11, before a rebound and an and one from the Lady Highlanders made it 15-14.
With 3:49 left in the half, CHS was fouled, but Wilson hit another three pointer with 2:41 left in the half to tie things up going into halftime 17-17.
The Lady Braves opened things up in the third period with a layup and again with 6:12 left in the third to make it 23-17.
Ava Schmitt hit a jumper to cut the lead 23-19 before Reese Schmitt was fouled and sunk both free throws to make it a two-point game at 23-21.
With 3:59 left in the third period, CHS hit a layup, but Hayley Borino hit a three pointer to make it 25-24.
The Lady Braves kept on sinking baskets with a layup and a three pointer to go up 32-24.
With 24 seconds left in the third period, Bella Wilson hit a jumper, but CHS answered to end the third period 34-26.
Ezra Branham opened the fourth period and Hayley Borino followed up with a three pointer to cut the Lady Braves lead to 34-31.
CHS had another run with a jumper and two layups to go up 41-33, before Julia Schmitt had a layup to make it 41-35.
The Lady Braves answered, but a free throw from Julia Schmitt made it 43-36.
With 2:15 left in the game, Hayley Borino hit a jumper to cut the lead to 43-38. CHS then hit a jumper, but Reese Schmitt hit a jumper of her own to make it 45-41.
CHS then hit a three pointer with 1:15 left in the game to increase their lead 48-41.
Hayley Borino was fouled with 47.4 seconds left in the game to make it 48-43, but CHS had an and one to increase their lead 51-43.
With 12 seconds left in the game, Hayley Borino had an and one to make it 51-46.
After another free throw from CHS, Reese Schmitt hit a three pointer at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough for the Lady Highlander win, 52-49.
“If we would have finished around the basket a little better early, I think we would have had several chances to put ourselves above them early,” HHS head coach Brett Lamb said. “We came out flat in the third quarter and they outscored us 17-9. We outscored them 23-18 in the fourth, but we were already down before entering the fourth. Reese did a good job for us, she’s our stopper. We missed 10 free throws and that was the difference for us. I don’t like moral victories, but I am proud of what they do. We’ll get better and better as the season goes on and we will play them again.”
The Lady Highlanders take on Rosman at home tonight at 6 p.m.
Varsity boys
Highlands – 35
Cherokee – 56
After a strong push by Cherokee High School in the fourth period, the Highlanders boys varsity basketball team fell on Homecoming night, 56-35.
To start off the game, Nathan Keener had a layup followed by two free throws by Kasen Mitchell to get the Highlanders up 4-0 with 4:03 left in the first period.
CHS then had an and one to make it 4-3. After being fouled with 1:29 left in the first period, CHS made two free throws to take the lead 5-4.
With 19 seconds left in the first period, CHS had a layup to go up 7-4 going into the second period.
CHS opened the second period with a layup to make it 9-4, but with 6:19 left in the period, James Earp had a jumper to make it 9-6. CHS answered, but Kasen Mitchell had another jumper to make it 11-8.
With 4:56 left in the half, CHS had an and one to go up 14-8, before Kasen Mitchell was fouled and sank two free throws to cut the lead 14-10.
Mason Taylor was fouled with 3:16 left in the half to make it 14-11. Lawson Shuler then followed up with a layup to make it a one-point game at 14-13 with 1:29 left in the half.
CHS was then fouled and sank a free throw to make it 15-13, but Lawson Shuler hit a three pointer with four seconds left to take the lead going into halftime 16-15.
CHS opened the third period, but Jeffrey Olvera answered to stay up 18-17.
After two free throws from Kaden and Kasen Mitchell, CHS had a layup to make it 20-19, but Kaden Mitchell answered with a jumper to make it 22-19.
After a free throw from Kaden Mitchell, CHS tied things back up with 2:45 left in the third period at 23-23.
With 1:47 in the third period, CHS took the lead with three back-to-back layups, 29-23, before Jeffery Olvera answered to make it 29-25.
With eight seconds left in the third period, James Earp had a layup to cut the Braves lead 29-27, going into the fourth period.
To open up the fourth period, Nathan Keener was fouled, but Kasen Mitchell took the free throws to tie it up at 29-29.
Brandon Moss was fouled with 6:53 left in the game, to take the lead for the Highlanders 30-29.
The Braves then went on a hotstreak, scoring 16 straight points before Kasen Mitchell scored a layup, making it 46-32.
The two teams traded some free throws, making it 49-33, before a layup from CHS made it 51-33.
CHS then made six free throws to end the game at 56-35.
“I think we played really hard,” Head coach Kaitlin Bishop said. “We hung with them there in the first three quarters and we kept it close. They pulled away from us and we lost control and couldn’t take care of the basketball. We couldn’t knock down shots whenever we needed to and it just didn’t fall our way tonight. We have a lot to work on. Offensively, we’ve got to learn to take care of some things and defensively, we did well up until the fourth quarter. It’s just one of those things.”
The Highlanders take on Rosman at home tonight at 6 p.m.
- By Christopher Lugo