Unaka started the new year with a pair of nonconference wins on Tuesday night.
The Lady Rangers outlasted Happy Valley 35-26 in the girls’ varsity contest, while the Rangers jumped out and took an 82-64 win over the Warriors.
In the girls’ game, it was a back-and-forth battle in the early going.
Kadie Bailey and Marcida Moore hit early shots for HV to counter a quick start by Unaka’s Lyndie Ramsey as HV held an 11-8 after a quarter of play.
Points were hard to come by in the second quarter as both teams scored five points in the frame as HV took a 16-13 lead into the half.
Haley Taylor hit a key Unaka 3-pointer and Ramsey scored seven points in the third quarter as the Lady Rangers regained control and took a 23-21 lead into the final quarter.
The final eight minutes saw the teams continue to battle with Unaka able to secure the win late.
Ramsey finished with 28 points to lead Unaka, while Taylor finished with three points.
Moore had 12 points to pace HV, while Bailey ended the night with seven points.
In the boys’ game, the teams traded shots early on with Unaka edging out to take a 16-12 lead after a quarter of play.
The Rangers used a 13-5 stretch midway in the second quarter to take control, and take a 40-26 lead into the locker room at the half.
Unaka continued to control the game in the second half despite a hard-fought battle from the Warriors.
Mason Williams led Unaka with 25 points, while Landon Ramsey had 23 points. Joe-Z Blamo finished with 11 points.
Happy Valley saw Ron Parker score 24 points to lead the way. Colby Chausse and James Murray had 13 and 11 points, respectively, while Dakota Grindstaff scored 10 points.
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