Brooks Gym has always been an achilles heel for the Cloudland basketball program.
The ‘Landers were unable to shake off a sluggish night shooting in a 51-49 loss to University High on Friday night. The Lady ‘Landers, however, jumped out early and rolled to a 53-32 victory.
The boys’ game got off to a slow start. Preston Benfield hit two jumpers to push Cloudland to a 5-2 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Jr. Bucs rolled back to take a 19-12 lead at the half.
After Cloudland cut the lead to four points at the end of the third, a 9-2 run tied the game on a Benfield basket with just over two minutes to play. UH went back up by three, but Colby Birchfield knocked down a trey with 10 seconds remaining to force overtime.
In the extra period, Cloudland was unable to answer a final second shot by the Jr. Bucs.
Birchfield led Cloudland with 16 points, while Benfield finished with 15 points. Chris Wagoner added eight points in the game.
The Cloudland girls jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter, and maintained an 18-5 advantage at the end of the frame. The second quarter was much of the same as CHS saw Patricia Singleton and Shian Strickland knock down big shots to power them to a 35-15 advantage at the half.
The Lady ‘Landers continued to keep pushing the lead and kept the Lady Jr. Bucs at bay in the second half.
Payton Johnson led Cloudland with 15 points, while Strickland finished with 12 points. Erin Julian had seven points, while Singleton finished with six points.
Postgame Audio
Cloudland Head Coach Lucas Andrews
Cloudland Head Coach Gary Harrison
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