The Unaka girls basketball team defended their home court on Friday night, while the Rangers came up short in their upset bid.
The Lady Rangers handed North Greene their first loss in District 1-A play with a 55-53 victory on Stoney Creek. In the boys’ game, the Rangers were unable to hold on for the upset in a 52-47 decision to the Huskies.
For the Lady Rangers, it was a nail bitter.
The teams played nearly even through the first half as NG took a 30-27 lead into the half.
In the third quarter, neither team was able to build a lead as each traded shots. The Lady Rangers, however, trimmed the gap to one point going to the fourth quarter.
Savannah Tipton scored eight points in the final quarter and Jada Whitehead hit a pair of big shots to help power the Lady Rangers to the thrilling victory.
Tipton finished with 14 points to lead the Lady Rangers, while Whitehead had 12 points. Madison Pierce finished with 10 points. Macy Ensor had eight points.
In the boys’ game, the Rangers had their eye on an upset, but was unable to get back in front late.
After a back-and-forth clash on Stoney Creek, the Rangers held a 21-17 lead at the half. Both teams continued to stay in striking distance through the second half. The Rangers continued to battle, but was unable to pull ahead for the win in the final minutes.
John Ramsey led the way with 16 points, while Ryan Johnson added 15 points for the Rangers.
