Tigers open hoops season with 68-36 win

Watertown boys break open close game in second quarter

By ANDY REED

Sports Editor

WATERTOWN — Considering many of Watertown's players were playing football as recently as 12 days ago, Matt Bradshaw was fairly pleased after his Purple Tigers opened their basketball season Tuesday night with a 68-36 triumph over Mt. Juliet Christian in a TSSAA Hall of Champions game.

The Tigers led just 13-12 following the first quarter before using a 21-7 blitz in the second to go up 34-19 by halftime.

"We didn't play too bad," Bradshaw said. "Defensively, we were very pleased. Our effort was great.

"Offensively, didn't shoot the ball as well [45.5 percent from the floor, just 28.6 percent from the free-throw line] as I'd like for us to shoot it. We had some fastbreak situations we ned to clean up a little bit."

Mt. Juliet Christian coach Paul Christensen said the defending District 8-A champions provided some lessons for his Saints.

"We played hard and played well, but they're an awfully good team this year," Christensen said. "We learned some lessons tonight we needed to learn going into the season.

"It was a profitable night for our guys."

Point guard Macieo Gaines paced the Purple Tigers with 14 points and five assists while Ty Jobe totaled 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Josiah Smith notched nine points while Nolan Allison knocked down a pair of three-pointers as he and Dylan Speck scored six apiece. Ethan Moss and Zach Edwards added five points apiece, Nick Sackman four, Colin Jennings three and Hunter Warren and Ben Bain two each.

Jackson Harrell's nine points paced Mt. Juliet Christian while Alex Graves added eight, Zach Jones seven, Charles Layne three, Brandon Wall and Grant Lamberth two each and Trevor West and James Laxton a free throw apiece.

Mt. Juliet Christian will play host to Providence Christian in another Hall of Champions game Friday night for the Saints' home opener. Watertown will go to Chattanooga Arts & Sciences on Saturday night.

Tigerettes tear past MJCA

WATERTOWN — Watertown went on a 7-0 tear to open the second quarter and the Tigerettes pulled away from there to wear out Mt. Juliet Christian 56-15 Tuesday night in a TSSAA Hall of Champions game.

The Tigerettes actually reeled off nine in a row to break a 5-5 tie and they opened a 22-8 halftime lead as Alicia Jennings scored seven of her game-high 12 during the second quarter. It was 43-14 going into the fourth.

Jenna Haun hit a pair of three-pointers as she and center Bobbi Staats each tossed in 10 points. Katie Dalton, Jasmine High and Bay Cole scored six apiece and Kirstin Vantrease and Shelby Mofield three each.

Lynnze Ethridge led the Lady Saints with nine points while Shelby Leech, Meredith Orr and Lauren Wankel each tossed in two.

Casey Colter was back on the Mt. Juliet Christian bench coaching the Lady Saints after missing most of last season with cancer. Athletic Director Paul Christensen said Colter's nine-month checkup was clean.

Mt. Juliet Christian will entertain Providence Christian at 6 p.m. Friday in another Hall of Champions contest in the Lady Saints' home opener. Watertown will travel to Chattanooga Arts & Sciences on Saturday for a 5 p.m. tipoff.

Friendship girls hold on to edge Middle Tennessee Christian

MURFREESBORO — Deja Jones knocked down 19 points and Kaitlyn Teeter 14 as Friendship Christian's girls built a sizable lead before clinging to a 57-55 TSSAA Hall of Champions win at Middle Tennessee Christian on Tuesday night.

The game was scheduled just days ago after another team backed out on playing MTCS, whose girls were playing their first game under former Greeneville and Shelbyville coach Lynn Burkey, who had spent the past few seasons on Rick Insell's staff at Middle Tennessee State.

The Lady Commanders led 14-9 following the first quarter, 26-17 at halftime and 44-30 through three before the Lady Cougars rallied.

Jones and Courtney Petty fouled out, leaving Friendship with just five players on the court at the finish.

"We were lucky to hold on," Lady Commander coach Deanna Teeter said.

Point guard Kristian Watkins threw in 13 points for Friendship while Taylor Patterson scored seven and Petty four.

The Lady Commanders will play host to Pope John Paul II at 6 p.m. Monday at the Bay Family Sportsplex. Whether the boys will play afterward had yet to be determined as of last night.

Skeleton Commanders lose at MTCS

MURFREESBORO — With more than half the roster still with football, a skeleton Friendship Christian team opened defense of its state basketball championship Tuesday night with a 67-48 loss at Middle Tennessee Christian in a TSSAA Hall of Champions game scheduled just a few days ago.

Playing just a few miles from where the Commanders hoisted their first gold ball last march, they fell behind 22-13 in the first quarter, 37-24 at halftime and 55-38 through three periods.

Ben Brown bagged four three-pointers from the wing to lead Middle Tennessee Christian, coached by FCS-graduate and former Commander coach Jason Piercey, with 20 points. Derrick Spears scored 14, David Capps 13 and Ty Hageman 12 from inside.

Allen Heaston, the only senior on an otherwise all-freshman and sophomore roster, led Friendship with 28 points, hitting 10 of 12 free throws, while Anthony Williams added eight.

Zac Anderson, a sophomore guard who missed all but the first game last season due to cancer, returned to the lineup to score six points. Evan Hemontolor finished with four and Mackey Bentley two.

Out of the 25 varsity and junior-varsity players, 11 dressed last night while 14 others practiced football right up to sundown in preparation for Friday's state quarterfinal visit from Marion County.

As for Friendship's next basketball game, four contests are scheduled over the next couple of weeks. But coaches want to evaluate this game before deciding whether to proceed. One of the games is against District 8-A rival Gordonsville, which will be rescheduled if either of the schools' football teams are still in the playoffs.

McClain overmatched at Ravenwood

BRENTWOOD — Tiny McClain Christian faced one of the TSSAA big boys Tuesday night as Ravenwood roared past the Bulldogs 79-23 in a Hall of Champions game.

Brandon Fox's 12 points paced McClain while Kris Adams and Austyn Laude threw in three apiece.

Weston Rountree racked up four rebounds.

"We played one of the best TSSAA teams in the state tonight, and were a little intimidated by them," said McClain coach Tony McLeod, whose school is not a member of the association. "But I was proud of the way we came out more aggressive in the second half.

"I was also extremely happy with the play of Weston Rountree and Troy Huddleston."

Both McClain teams will be in action Friday against the Western Kentucky Trailblazers in Bowling Green, Ky., before playing host to Franklin Road Christian in the Bulldogs' home openers at Immanuel Baptist Church.

Sports Editor Andy Reed can be reached at 444-3952, ext. 17; or by email at andy.reed@lebanondemocrat.com