Clear Creek Middle School tangled with rival Pickens on the basketball court last Thursday.
The CCMS Lady Cats hosted the Dragonettes while the Bobcats traveled to Jasper to face the Dragons. The seventh-grade Lady Cats earned a 47-33 victory while the eighth graders lost, 57-45.
The seventh-grade Bobcats were unable to come back at the end and were defeated by Pickens, 51-45. The older Bobcats built an early lead and put the game away in the third when the Dragons went cold. CCMS notched a 56-39 win.
Lady Cats
CCMS seventh graders surged ahead in the opening quarter thanks to a dominant rebounding performance and swarming press. The Cats pulled down 11 boards in the first quarter, which included four on the offensive end.
Gracie Pritchett scored in the post for the Cats while Bree Burnette nabbed steals for transition points. A high-post jumper by Madison Hall moved the Cats ahead, 12-1.
CCMS took a 14-1 lead into the second quarter, and the Cats were held scoreless for five straight minutes as PCMS trimmed the lead to 14-7. However, the Cats came alive over the final two minutes for nine points and a 23-10 advantage at the half.
Pritchett and Jaylee McDaniel each scored four post points in the third quarter, and CCMS maintained a 31-17 lead with seven miutes to play.
Pickens had its most productive quarter in the fourth where it scored 16 points. The Cats were there to match them with each basket, and Pickens never got closer than nine points.
Pritchett and McDaniel scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, to go with eight rebounds apiece. Addie Vick tallied eight points and eight rebounds and Burnette finished with 10 points.
The difference in the eighth-grade game came down to the second quarter where CCMS was outscored, 19-6.
In the opening quarter, PCMS jumped to a 6-0 lead. They continually made use of offensive rebounds for second and third chances throughout the game. CCMS guards Burnette, Aliza Chastain and Carly Becerra combined for 11 points in the first and helped the Cats build a 16-13 lead.
Pickens hit two quick three pointers to begin the second quarter and ignite an 18-2 run as CCMS was plagued by turnovers. Becerra made a free throw and Chastain drained a three pointer in the final minute to cut the Dragonettes’ lead to 33-22 at halftime.
Becerra continually attacked the basket in the second half. Along with Chastain, they combined to score Clear Creek’s first 10 points of the third quarter to reel Pickens closer, 37-33.
Madison Bradshaw was there to grab defensive rebounds for CCMS to limit Pickens second chances, and the Dragonettes’ lead stood at 43-36 at the end of the third.
Pickens found success from outside in the fourth quarter as well and quickly extended its lead to 53-38. CCMS never got closer than 10 points over the final seven minutes of the game as the Dragonettes came away with a 12-point victory.
Chastain led CCMS with 15 points and also collected six rebounds. Becerra scored 13 and Bradshaw added seven points and nine boards.
Bobcats
The seventh-grade Bobcats hung closely with the Dragons even though Pickens was able to pad its lead with each passing quarter.
PCMS found itself ahead 16-12 after a quarter and 32-21 at the half. The Dragons’ advantage was 37-28 entering the fourth where teams traded points almost evenly.
Boston Teague scored 15 of Clear Creek’s 17 points in the quarter, but the Cats came up just short in the end.
Teague finished the game with 21 points, Bubba Callihan added 10 and Keegen Bryant scored seven.
CCMS faced Fannin County prior to Thanksgiving break and lost 35-33 as the Rebels made five threes on the day. Bryant led the way with 14 points followed by Teague’s nine and Callihan’s eight.
Clear Creek eighth graders were hot from outside in the first half against Pickens with five three pointers. J.D. Taylor drained three and Haden West hit the other two.
Jackson McVey and James Wright combined for nine post points as CCMS led 11-6 after a quarter and 32-22 at the half.
PCMS only scored two points in the third as McVey was there for eight of his own in the quarter. CCMS extended its lead to 44-24 with seven minutes to play.
Pickens was able to get its offense in gear in the fourth, but the game was all but decided as the Bobcats came away with a 17-point victory.
McVey scored 17, Taylor had 14, both Cooper Farmer and West contributed six points and Talyn Curtis and Will Capstick netted five points apiece.
CCMS had a consistent scoring effort against Fannin two weeks earlier, and the Rebels failed to keep pace. Clear Creek turned a 15-13 first quarter deficit into a 27-17 lead at the break.
Eight different Bobcats scored in the second half as they kept the offense flowing. CCMS pushed its lead to 41-21 by the end of the third and roared to a 56-24 win.
Farmer and McVey both scored 14 points for CCMS, Curtis had eight and West tallied six.