County teams tip off hoops season

Lady Tigers fall to tough McMinn Co. squad Head Coach Conchita Johnson’s Pigeon Forge Lady Tigers faced a McMinn Central Lady Chargers squad that is year-in, year-out one of the top AA team in East Tennessee, and judging from Monday night’s season-opening performance against the Lady Tigers at Pigeon Forge High School, this year will be no different. A stifling McMinn Central defense held the Pigeon Forge offense to just nine first half points and helped the Lady Chargers, a state tournament team from a year ago, build a 23-9 halftime advantage. Pigeon Forge used a balanced offensive attack in the third period to generate some point-production but still the Lady Tigers failed to keep pace with the Lady Chargers’ inside, outside charge led by Madison Lee’s 14 points. Finally, in the final stanza, Pigeon Forge after falling behind 39-22 at the end of three quarters. The Lady Tigers made a quiet run over the game’s waning minutes but still fell 47-35 to a team that could very well end up being one of the state’s elite. Heather Shinlever led the balanced Pigeon Forge effort with eight points. Bears claim rare blowout of Tornadoes At Sevier County High School the Smoky Bears, in their first action under new coach Ken Wright, took advantage of Alcoa High School’s prowess on the football field to claim a 70-48 win over the Tornadoes on the basketball court that will make some jaws drop when folks glance back at it in February. Several of Alcoa’s key contributors are still focused on the football-mode while preparing for Friday night’s playoff quarterfinal game against Sweetwater. The Smoky Bears didn’t feel sorry for the Tornadoes and used a big third-quarter push to take a double-digit lead over the Alcoa team that only dressed seven players. The Tornadoes were not easy to knockout even without their top players. Alcoa actually had the lead at different points of the second quarter but the Smoky Bears fought back to take a halftime advantage and stomped the pedal to the floor in the third, racing to a large lead before cruising through the final minutes for the 22-point win. Jesse Hurst led the Smoky Bears with 19 points, while James Feezel contributed 13. Veterans Matt Hodges and Shawn Hodge accounted for 12 points each for the Bears. Alcoa, led by Justin Ridenour’s game-high 22 points, will be a much different looking club at this time next month. As is always the case for the traditional high school football powers like Alcoa, Fulton and Austin-East, the season usually begins slow but ends with a vicious spring to the finish line. Bearettes shoot lights-out against Lady Tornadoes In a three-point barrage, the Sevier County Smoky Bearettes impressively roared past the Lady Tornadoes from Alcoa 72-60 Tuesday night. The Bearettes’ shooting touch appears to be in mid-season form in early November, as 13 three-point baskets were made with four different players registering in double-figures in scoring. Kendal Baxter led the way for the Smoky Bearettes with five treys to account for all but two of her game-high 17 points against the Lady Tornadoes, an athletic squad from Class AA. Jessica Tharpe was active on the post on both ends of the court and finished with 14 points. Amanda Feeney chipped in 13 points while Lindsey Manning contributed 10 to round out the Sevier County players in double figures. TKA drops a pair of HOF games The King’s Academy Lions within striking distance with the Union County Patriots for a little while but fell off in the second half and lost 71-58 in a Hall of Fame exhibition that only counts on the official win-loss record if the coach chooses to count it. Corbin Palmer led the Lions effort with 17 points. The Lady Lions were downed by the Lady Patriots 38-21. Emma Sainsbury paced the Lady Lions with eight points, 12 boards and four blocked shots.