The Gilmer High School Bobcats delivered a basketball loss to the Fannin County Rebels on their home court.
GHS traveled to Blue Ridge last Tuesday for the final game of the ETC/Piedmont Mountainside Tip-Off Tournament. The two teams battled it out in a low-scoring affair that saw the Bobcats escape with a 40-38 victory when the Rebels’ shot at the buzzer did not fall.
“Turnovers were the main key,” coach Jordan Hice said. “Fannin can get up on you quick if you start turning it over. We cut that out and made it a close game, which is what we wanted. We just want to keep games close to have the opportunity to win at the end.
“If we had shot better from the free-throw line, it would have been a complete game. We started out slow and picked it up in the second half.”
The Bobcats entered the game down a starter. GHS junior Carson Pierce was injured in the first round of the event against Pickens and was ruled out indefinitely. Filling in for Pierce was Ethan Banks, and while he did not record any points on the night, he was there for 10 rebounds, which included five on the offensive end.
Through a half, not much separated Gilmer and Fannin as neither team offered much offensively. The score was tied 8-8 after a quarter, and the Rebels eased ahead 17-14 by the break.
Kaeden Twiggs netted four quick points for Fannin to begin the third before the Rebels stopped scoring.
Over the final 5:52 of the quarter, GHS outscored the Rebels 14-2. Cade Carter was there for four in the post while teammates Luke Wimpey, Braden Jenkins and Brady Sanford hit jump shots as the Cats led 30-23 entering the fourth.
Sanford made Gilmer’s three shots from the field in the final quarter, which included a pair of three pointers. Jordan Bennett also hit two threes for Fannin, and Twiggs added seven more points in the fourth.
GHS made just 2/8 free-throw attempts over the final six minutes of the game, and Fannin tied the score at 35-all with 4:30 to play.
Fannin inched ahead 38-36 before Jenkins made a free throw. With under a minute on the clock, Sanford sank a three for the game’s final points.
Fannin’s last possession with five seconds came with some sloppy ball handling, which forced Twiggs away from the hoop, and his missed deep three-point attempt at the buzzer gave GHS the win.
Sanford scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds for Gilmer. Jenkins added 13 and four rebounds, and Carter scored four and collected 10 rebounds. Wimpey finished the game with four points and Lewis Mulkey scored two.
The win secured second place for GHS, and Jenkins, Carter and Sanford were selected to the all-tournament team.
Prior to their final win of the event, GHS faced Hiawasse Dam, N.C., a day prior and pulled away from the Eagles in the second half for a 52-35 victory.
“We had another slow start and were able to pick it up and extend our lead in the second half after we got comfortable and everyone settled into the role they needed to play on the floor,” Hice explained.
The Cats led 21-18 at the half and were able to distance themselves in the third as Carter scored eight in the post, and Sanford added seven more.
Ahead 38-29 with eight minutes to play, GHS increased its lead and earned a 17-point victory.
Sanford scored 17, and Carter finished the game with 16 points. Jenkins had eight and Bryson Sisson scored six.
“We’ve got some things that we need to work on, but the biggest thing has been losing so many players. It’s a quick turnaround after losing Carson against Pickens, and then we played Hiwassee Dam and Fannin without him. We still haven’t had a practice yet without Carson in the lineup.
“I told the guys, ‘There have been a lot of things this season that we can’t control, but we can control what we do out on the floor.’”
GHS is 3-1 overall and hosted Southeast Whitfield at press deadline. GHS travels to Murphy, N.C., Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.