The annual ETC/Piedmont Mountainside Tip-off Tournament was a meeting of old basketball rivals.
The Gilmer High Lady Cats faced Pickens first Saturday, Nov. 20. After a sluggish second quarter, GHS was unable to recover and lost, 56-50.
The host Lady Rebels were up next, and GHS turnovers proved costly as Fannin rolled to a 63-39 win. Gilmer ended the event with a decisive win over Copper Basin. The Cougars played from behind all game as the Cats won, 54-27.
Two losses to start the season are rare for the Lady Cats. Over the previous 10 tip-off tournaments, it only happened twice. During that span, GHS won six tip-off tournament championships.
“It was tough leaving with a 1-2 record because that’s not something we’ve done in a while,” head coach Susan Nunn said. “The biggest thing this year for us was just getting those girls some experience. They now know what the rest of the season is going to look like (in terms of intensity) before region play even starts.
“I feel like that’s a definite bonus, and there’s always good competition at the ETC tournament.”
The Pickens game came down to the second quarter, which began with the Cats leading, 15-13. PHS got hot from outside and made five three pointers ahead of halftime while the Cats’ offense sputtered.
Pickens led 32-19 at the half and still maintained a 13-point edge entering the fourth, 45-32. Elly Callihan, Aliza Chastain, Lark Reece, Maddie Wright and Brooke Wilson all tallied points for GHS in the final quarter, but the Cats fell six points shy.
Callihan led all scorers with 23 points and Reece added 12.
“Overall, I was pleased because I was unsure, with the pace, if our girls were going to be able to hang with them,” Nunn said. “We got them again next Saturday. Even though we lost, it was a close game and should give our girls some confidence going in. If we can step up our game a little bit, we can get a win out of it.”
Gilmer was hampered by turnovers versus Fannin. Errant passes landed out of bounds and in the hands of Rebel defenders from the onset. GHS committed nine turnovers in the second quarter, and while Fannin found open looks in the Cats’ zone, shots were not falling.
Gilmer was only down by two after a quarter, and FCHS pulled ahead 26-19 at halftime.
Nine more turnovers came in the third quarter for GHS as Fannin’s shots started to fall. The Rebels’ offense was bolstered by four threes, and they went on a 10-2 run to close out the quarter for a 47-30 lead.
FCHS added to its advantage in the fourth where the Cats made just four shots from the field.
“At halftime we were only down seven, and I was very pleased with that,” Nunn said. “In the second half, the pace of it, and the girls being so young and just not used to that extended pace, it just wore on us after a while, and we just couldn’t get back into the game.
“It’s just going to take some time. There were some good things that happened, and it’s a great group of girls. The great thing about it is they’re listening and they’re trying to absorb it.”
Callihan and Reece both scored 10 points, Anna Waddell added six, Charley Poteet totaled five and Lucy Ray finished with four.
The Cats turned the tables versus Copper Basin Tuesday. Five Cats contributed points in the opening half, while their defensive effort stifled the Cougars. Gilmer’s 18-4 lead after a quarter stood at 28-9 by the break.
While Basin’s offense gained some traction in the second half, the Cougars never got closer than 20 points and the Cats won by 27.
Gilmer got a boost from the free-throw line where it made 19 of 23 attempts. Callihan converted 11 of 12 free throws and led the way with 21 points. Poteet was there for nine more points and Reece added eight.
“After the Fannin game, which was full of turnovers for us ... our goal was to really get focused on not turning the ball over and keeping the ball in our hands as long as we could to get some offensive work and not just run and gun,” Nunn said.
“We wanted to try to work on our pace, perfect a couple things and try to get plenty of girls some time so they could work on their game.”
GHS also met Copper Basin to start the season Tuesday, Nov. 16. Callihan’s 15 points and Wilson’s 10 helped fuel the Cats to a 52-39 win. Poteet scored eight and Reece was there for seven.
The junior varsity Cats participated in the tip-off tournament as well and lost to Pickens (42-30) and Fannin (54-39).
The varsity Cats will host Southeast Whitfield Friday at 6 p.m. and Pickens Saturday at 3 p.m.