The Pickens Dragonettes and Dragons took care of business at home against Fannin High School on Tuesday evening, and when it was all said and done the Nettes walked away with a 69-56 victory while the Dragons dominated the Rebels to the tune of a 57-34 win.The girls’ game between the two schools started off on the right note for Pickens thanks to Sarah Smith, who came out determined and scored the first five points of the game. Fannin eventually got going and kept up Pickens’ pace, but at the end of the quarter the Dragonettes held a 16-10 advantage.

Poor passing from Pickens in the second quarter allowed the Lady Rebels to keep this one close, but the Dragonettes’ three-point shooting was too much for Fannin. The Dragonettes saved their best for last before halftime, as Makayla Payne drained a three-pointer just before time expired to give the Nettes a 33-21 lead going into the locker room.

Pickens continued to execute precisely in the third quarter to the tune of eighteen points, leaving Fannin down 50-39. The fourth quarter has not been kind to the Dragonettes as of late, and for a few moments it seemed like this would be the case yet again, as the Lady Rebels quietly cut into the Nettes’ comfortable lead. Fortunately for Pickens, the team had plenty of free throws for their side in the fourth, which they made more often than not. In the end, the Nettes were able to get the job done against a formidable Fannin defense, resulting in a 69-56 win for the Dragonettes.

Sarah Smith had another great game for the Dragonettes, leading the team with sixteen points in the victory. Smith also had five rebounds, one assist, and three blocks in the game.

Haley Kalson kept her cool against the Lady Rebels in this one, finishing the game with fifteen points and a team-high seven rebounds. Kalson also recorded five assists and one steal.

Makayla Payne’s three before halftime may have been the highlight of the game, but it was not all she accomplished in the win. Payne recorded fifteen points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal against Fannin.

With the girls’ game now in the books, the Dragons hit the court determined to give Pickens a clean sweep and record their fifth straight victory this season. The first quarter saw the Dragons fight hard and make play after play despite getting into some foul trouble early, and when the quarter was over Pickens held a 14-9 lead.

Fannin cut into the lead in the second quarter thanks to some timely three-point shooting, resulting in the Rebels taking a 21-20 lead with a little over three minutes left in the quarter. Instead of backing down and struggling while trailing, the Dragons caught fire and took off to end the first half, outscoring Fannin 12-0 to end the quarter to give the home squad a 32-21 lead at the half.

It was much of the same for Pickens in the third quarter, extending its run from the second quarter to 17-0 before the Rebels finally responded. The third would prove to seal the deal for Pickens in this one, as the team outscored Fannin 16-4 to increase its lead to 48-25 going into the fourth quarter.

Although Fannin was able to make some more plays in the fourth quarter, they were unable to close the gap on the Dragons. When it was all said and done, the Dragons walked away with a nice 57-34 victory.

Playing without point guard Tanner Brumby, who was practicing for the DL Scott Coalition Bowl All-Star game, was not an easy task, but the Dragons were certainly up for the task on Tuesday.

Shannon Brooks put up another great outing for the Dragons in this game, leading the team with fourteen points. Brooks ended the matchup with four rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal as well.

Clay Wigington has proven again and again that he is among the best rebounders in AAAA, and we saw it again on Tuesday, as the junior led the Dragons with nine rebounds. Wigington also had ten points, one block, and two steals in the victory.

Pickens needed some of its players to step up in Brumby’s absence, and none did so better than Dalton Bruce. Bruce had an impressive game against Fannin, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and four steals.

The win for the Dragonettes puts their record past the .500 mark to 6-5, while the Dragons are now 8-3.

Pickens has a true test of talent on Friday when they travel to Atlanta to take on the St. Pius X Lady Lions (6-3) and Golden Lions (9-1). The girls’ matchup is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.