The start of Three Rivers Conference play wasn’t so kind to the Elizabethton basketball teams.
The Lady Cyclones and Cyclones dropped a pair of heartbreakers to Johnson County on Friday night inside Treadway Gymnasium.
Elizabethton fell 55-54 despite a quick rally in the closing minutes in the girls’ game, while the Cyclones dropped the boys’ game 50-49.
In the girls’ game, it was a back-and-forth game from the opening tip. EHS held a 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, and maintained a 24-23 lead at the half after Morgan Headrick poured in seven points in the frame.
Johnson County came out of the locker room fighting as they battled back to take the lead and held a 43-36 lead going to the fourth. The Lady Cyclones continued to battle as they found themselves down seven points with just over three minutes to play.
In the closing minutes, Elizabeton saw Kaylen Shell help spark a quick run as EHS pulled back within one in the final seconds. However, they were unable to get back ahead.
Shell tallied 16 points to lead Elizabethton, while Headrick had 15 points. Kelsie Winters and Abbey Townsend had six and four points, respectively.
It was believed that Friday’s victory was the first for the Lady Longhorns over Elizabethton.
In the boys’ game, the Cyclones saw the Longhorns jump out to a fast start, but Eric Wilson helped EHS battle back to close the deficit to 15-13 at the end of the quarter. Elizabethton trailed 27-23 at the half.
EHS saw Evan Perkins score eight points in the third quarter as the Cyclones tied the game at 37-37 going into the final quarter. Elizabethton, however, was unable to edge back ahead in the closing seconds.
Wilson had a game-high 17 points, while Perkins tallied 12 points. Freshman Parker Hughes and Nico Ashley had nine points apiece.
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[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”479″ gal_title=”12-1-17: JoCo at Elizabethton”]
