The Clear Creek Bobcats closed out their regular season on the basketball court last week.
Versus Lumpkin County Monday, the seventh-grade Bobcats won 43-39, while the eighth graders claimed a 36-35 win.
Three days later against Pickens, CCMS seventh graders downed their rival 51-45 in overtime. The eighth-grade Bobcats crushed the Dragons, 64-49.
Seventh grade
Versus Lumpkin, Boston Teague scored 17 points, which was followed by Bubba Callihan’s 11, Keegen Bryant’s nine and Peyton Chancey’s six.
The tight game saw CCMS lead 18-15 at halftime, but the Indians were able to tie the score at 20-all entering the final quarter.
Clear Creek’s quartet of scorers all added baskets in the fourth to help the Bobcats pull out a four-point win.
Versus Pickens, duo of Hayden Jones and McCord Purdy led the charge with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Dragons edged CCMS by two points after a quarter before trailing 18-15 at the half. Bobcat Connor Nelson scored six points in the second to help CCMS gain the lead.
Pickens got hot in the third with a trio of three pointers and took a 32-26 advantage into the fourth. However, CCMS roared back and were aided by a 5/9 performance from the free-throw line to tie the score at 41-41 at the end of regulation.
The Cats continued to draw fouls in overtime and converted four more free throws. Nelson, Chancey and Bryant all made shots to seal the Bobcats’ 51-45 win.
Nelson led the way with 15 points, both Teague and Bryant added 13, Chancey finished with six and Callihan totaled four.
Eighth grade
Cal Faulkner scored 22 of 35 points for Lumpkin in the eighth-grade game, which would eventually become an issue for the Indians.
Meanwhile, CCMS received points from seven different players. The Cats fell behind 12-7 after a quarter and were in a 21-15 hole at halftime.
LCMS scored 14 points over the final two quarters, and all belonged to Faulkner. The Bobcats continued to share the ball and were down 29-24 with seven minutes to play.
Both J.D. Taylor and Teague made three pointers in the fourth, and CCMS added four more points from the free-throw line to earn a one-point win.
Taylor scored nine on the day, Jackson McVey finished with eight, and they were followed by Teague (six), Cooper Farmer and Talyn Curtis (four apiece), Bryant (three) and Blane Banks (two).
McVey turned in a stellar performance against Pickens, and the Bobcats led comfortably throughout. McVey scored 31 points, and nine came in the first quarter as Haden West and Taylor each made three pointers.
Curtis joined the scoring action as well, and CCMS stormed to a 21-12 lead. McVey stayed hot in the second quarter while Taylor continued to keep the Dragons honest by hitting another three.
The Bobcats built a 37-19 halftime lead that continued to grow in the third where McVey added eight more points. The Cats led 50-29 entering the fourth. The Dragons came alive for 21 points but never threatened the Bobcats.
Taylor added 11 points and West had eight. Sam Hammontree led PCMS with 16 points.