The Gilmer High Bobcats picked up a region basketball win sandwiched between two losses last week.
GHS traveled to White County Wednesday, and while the Cats kept the game close, they were never able to overtake the Warriors in a 57-53 loss.
Gilmer hosted the Lumpkin County Indians Friday. An eventful fourth quarter saw the Bobcats’ lead shrink, but GHS held on to win, 49-48.
The Bobcats were in Dalton Saturday for a nonregion game versus the Southeast Whitfield Raiders. Gilmer’s offense fizzled in a 48-37 loss.
Head coach Jordan Hice’s plan to stop the Warriors’ top two players worked, but another emerged to pick up the slack.
“It was back and forth the whole game. We just couldn’t break through to take the lead,” Hice said. “We played good defense and stopped their best shooter (Kenny Simpson) and best player (Jadon Yeh) and wanted to make everyone else score. No. 3 (Silas Mulligan) had 23 points. The game plan was to not let their two best players score, and we held them to nine points combined.
“It was the same plan we had the first time we played, we just did get that 16-point lead we had the first time.”
GHS trailed 15-9 after the first quarter, and the Warriors widened their lead to as much as nine points in the second. However, Gilmer went on a run to even the score at 22-all at the half.
WCHS scored 24 in the third for their best quarter, which led to a 46-35 edge entering the fourth. Gilmer’s comeback bid fell four points shy.
Christian Sumner tallied 16 points for GHS and Cade Carter scored 10. Jackson McVey was there for nine points and 10 rebounds, and Will Kiker scored eight.
Lumpkin’s offense sputtered and produced just seven points in the first half, and Gilmer opened a 17-point lead. GHS was still in control of the game entering the fourth ahead, 34-19.
However, Carter got tangled with an Indian in the fourth and was whistled for a technical after he was pushed in the back. It turned into a five-point LCHS possession, and the Indians opted to foul down by 11.
The tactic paid off as GHS shot poorly from the free-throw line. On the night, the Cats made only 11/30 free throws while Lumpkin converted 12/17.
“The worst part of the whole game was free throws. We were just missing. Ultimately, we did everything we should have done, and ended up letting them back into the game because we couldn’t hit a free throw,” Hice said.
“I can’t complain about our offense and defense, it was just free throws. I know we don’t have the best free-throw shooters, and we didn’t even hit our average.”
Kiker scored 14 on the night and collected seven rebounds. Lewis Mulkey added 11 points and seven more rebounds.
GHS trailed the Raiders throughout, and Southeast added to its lead in each of the first three quarters, which stood at 35-26 entering the fourth.
McVey led the way with 11 points, and Britt Taylor, Mulkey and Sumner each added five.
“Our inside game is always strong, and that’s where most of our points came from,” Hice said. “Our guards couldn’t throw it in the ocean. We made one three and have been usually hitting five or six per game. That’s 12 points right there, and we didn’t shoot well (5/14) from the free-throw line again.
“If you make the shots you normally do and get back to 60 to 70 percent from the line, then we do fine. I felt like the kids were tired, and this was a game that wasn’t important to them. I know that’s bad to say, but we lost by 11. We couldn’t get anything going.”
GHS is 15-7 overall and traveled to Dawson at press deadline. Gilmer will make its way to East Forsyth Friday for an 8:30 tipoff.
Junior varsity
The JV Bobcats picked up two more wins last week to improve to 11-4. GHS smashed Lumpkin County 64-16 and hung on to beat Southeast Whitfield, 50-49.
Gilmer outpaced Lumpkin for the entire game, and in the opening quarter, the Cats struck for 22 points. Jackson McVey controlled the post and guards Ryder Wofford, Jacob Becerra and Kohan Davis kept the Indians honest outside.
GHS took a 36-13 lead into the third where LCHS scored its final three points. Eleven of McVey’s team-leading 23 points came in the third, and Gilmer’s lead ballooned to 58-16.
The Cats added six more points to their lead in the fourth. Wofford scored 16 on the day, Becerra added seven and Davis finished with six.
The game versus Southeast saw GHS lead 22-21 at the half, and Gilmer outscored the Raiders 18-8 in the third for just enough breathing room.
The Raiders doubled GHS points in the fourth and the Bobcats won by one.
Behind McVey’s 12 points were Becerra (10), Davis (nine), J.D. Taylor (seven), Wofford, John Ponders and Blane Banks (four each).