If continuous whistles and free throws are one’s preferred style of basketball, then the ETC/Piedmont Mountainside Tip-Off Tournament was a delight.
Forty-seven fouls were called when the Gilmer High Lady Cats played Pickens to begin the event, and 43 more whistles were blown when GHS took on the Fannin County Rebels to end it.
FCHS hosted GHS last Tuesday, and the Rebels made five more free throws than shots from the field. Referees’ calls in the game’s waning moments drew the ire of both fan bases, and when it was finally over, Fannin celebrated a 40-39 victory.
“We got in a little foul trouble, which made our players a little skittish about going after it,” GHS coach Susan Nunn said. “We had to keep some starters out for long periods of time in the second half, which did not help and made it hard for us to get in a groove offensively.
“But, we put ourselves in a hole early and weren’t making baskets and had far too many turnovers. Their half-court trap gave our guards fits even though it wasn’t a super-aggressive trap. We just couldn’t figure it out and didn’t play up to expectations today.”
Neither team shot well in the opening quarter as GHS limped ahead, 9-6. The Lady Cats were in the bonus to begin the second, and made 6/9 free throws while just adding four points from the field.
Fannin converted 7/11 free throws in the second quarter to tie the game at the half, 19-19.
The parade of fouls continued in the second half, but it was the hometown Rebels who benefited. FCHS went to the line 17 times over the game’s final 16 minutes while the Lady Cats only attempted one free throw in the third and fourth quarters.
Five Lady Cats scored in the second half, and Fannin depended on Abby Ledford. She was the only Rebel able to put the ball through the cylinder outside of the free-throw line, and she tallied six of her team-high 11 points in the third.
GHS led 31-30 with a quarter to play. Fannin inched ahead 38-35 with 2:30 on the clock before two points from Lady Cat Emma Callihan and a GHS steal and transition basket by Hope Colwell.
Fannin slipped back ahead from the free-throw line, 40-39, and with 6.6 seconds remaining, the gym would soon be rocking. During a battle for a loose ball, Nunn called a timeout, though it appeared no one had possession when it was granted, and the home stands erupted in protest.
Moments earlier, Fannin received possession after a timeout in a similar situation, though it did not occur with less than 10 seconds on the clock.
The man in charge of the operating gym’s music, who was seated at the head table, was ejected from the gym for voicing his displeasure. Luckily, FCHS had someone to step in to press the space bar on a laptop, so the tunes continued during breaks in play.
GHS received a final possession as the ringing consternation continued, and Emma Callihan’s shot at the buzzer did not fall and Fannin won.
“I felt like we had a great chance at the end,” Nunn said. “Emma had a really good shot that went in and out. We got the rebound and put it back up, so we had opportunities to win it.”
Gilmer shot 9/14 from the free-throw line while Fannin made 16/28 attempts. Elly Callihan led Gilmer with 15 points. Bailey Teague scored eight, Jalynn Ledford and Colwell had six, and Emma Callihan finished the game with four.
The day before, GHS faced Hiwassee Dam, N.C., and earned their second win of the event, 41-35.
“It was closer than I thought it would be,” Nunn said. “They had a big post players who kept them in the game. We pulled it out so I was pleased with that. It was not the style of play that we’re best at. We need to do a better job of not playing other peoples’ games. We’ve got to get in a rhythm and make them play the way we want to play.”
GHS led by four points after a quarter and 22-15 at halftime. The Cats maintained their lead in the second half and came away with the six-point win.
Emma Callihan led GHS with 12 points, Elly Callihan had 11 and Ledford scored eight.
The Cats finished second at the tip-off tournament, and their all-tournament players were Emma Callihan, Elly Callihan and Teague.
Gilmer is 3-1 overall and hosted Southeast Whitfield at press deadline. The Cats will travel to Murphy, N.C., Thursday for a 6 p.m. tipoff.