Late afternoon yesterday, the PHS Dragons varsity basketball team traveled to Southeast Whitfield to begin their part of the 6-AAAA Region Tournament. Pickens, came in as the #6 seed, while their opponent, the Heritage Generals, came in as the #3 seed. Pickens & Heritage split their meetings during the regular season. The winner, would advance to the 4A State Tournament, & to the semifinals.

In the 1st, the Dragons came out aggressive, & making three pointers early. Tucker Lowe hit 3 three’s, & Andrew Smith nailed a three to lead Pickens to a 18-16 lead after the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, the Generals made a run, but the Dragons were able to keep it close. Going into the break, Heritage led Pickens, 32-28.

The 3rd quarter saw the Generals pull away a little bit using a 20-9 quarter run, but remember, we have seen Pickens come back from down double digits in the 2nd half in games late this season. Going to the 4th, Heritage held a 52-37 advantage. In the 4th, both teams scored 11 points a piece, as the Generals came away with the win, 63-48.

Stats:

Tucker Lowe: 15 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Zach Goss: 14 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds

Andrew Smith: 10 points, 2 blocks

Hunter Hermann: 5 points, 3 assists, 13 rebounds, 6 steals

Owen Moss: 2 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Noah Sutton: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal