Dragons punch their ticket to 3A state tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 15, 2023
Cleveland, Ga — After defeating the West Hall Spartans on the road on Friday, February 10th to secure the #3 seed in the 7-AAA Region Tournament, the Pickens Dragons made the trip up to White County to take on the Dawson Tigers. The winner, would advance to the 3A State Tournament, and to the semifinals of the region tournament. The Tigers, had gotten the better of the Dragons in the regular season winning both games. Pickens, picked up the win over Dawson win it mattered most as they advanced with a 75-64 victory.
The Dragons, came out hot to start the ball game. After Kadyn Hampton hit a pair of free throws, Caleb Lanford got on the board with a bucket to make it 4-0 Pickens early. The Tigers, cut the lead to one with a three pointer to make it 4-3. The Dragons, then went on an 8-0 run as Isaiah Williams made a lay in and James Tilley hit back to back three pointers to make it 12-3. Dawson, ended the run with a layup to make it 12-5.
Williams, then went to the line and made a pair of free throws to stretch the lead back to 9. Jaden Stewart, got in the score book as he split a pair of free throws to make it 15-5. The Tigers responded with a 4-0 run to cut the lead down to 15-9. Pickens ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run as Stewart hit his first three of the game and McCord Purdy made a pair of free throws to make it 20-9 Dragons going to the second.
Purdy, kept the run going to begin the second quarter as he hit a three to make it 23-9. Dawson, ended the run with a basket to make it 23-11. Purdy, then went to the line for two more shots and he made them both to make it a 14 point lead again. The Tigers, then got hot offensively as they went on a 10-0 run to cut the Dragons lead down to 25-21. Williams, ended the big Dawson run with a layup to make it 27-21.
The Tigers answered with a layup of their own to cut the lead back down to 4. After Stewart split a pair of free throws, Williams then hit a three pointer to make it 31-23. Both teams would then split free throw shots as that made it 32-24. As the remaining seconds ticked off the clock in the first half, both teams trade buckets as the Dragons went into the break with a 34-26 lead.
Dawson got the third quarter going with a basket to cut the lead down to 6. The Dragons, then went ona 9-0 run as Lanford would make a two pointer then a three pointer, and Stewart would make a three pointer and split a pair of free throws to make it 43-28. The Tigers, countered and went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 10. After Lanford split a pair of free throws, Dawson hit a three to cut the lead to 44-36.
The Dragons, then went on a 6-0 run as Hampton got a layup to go, Williams, converted an and-1, and Seth Cronic split a pair of free throws to make it 50-36. After a pair of free throws from the Tigers, Caleb Keith went on a 4-0 run to make it 54-38. Dawspn, ended the third quarter with another pair of free throws as Pickens took a 54-40 lead into the fourth.
Both teams traded three pointers to begin the fourth quarter as it remained a 14 point lead for the Dragons. That three pointer by Tilley sparked what would be another 9-0 run for Pickens as they stretched their lead out to 63-43. After both teams made a basket each, Dawson, went on an 8-0 run to cut the Dragons lead down to 65-53. Pickens ended the run after a bucket by Williams and a pair of free throws by Purdy to make it 69-53.
The Tigers, doing everything they can to get back into it, went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 69-59. Once again, the tandem of Purdy and Williams stopped the Dawson run as Purdy continued to be automatic from the free throw line making a pair of shots and Williams got a bucket to go to make it 73-59. After a 5-0 run by Dawson cut the lead to 9, Stewart stepped up and hit a pair of free throws to close it out and give the Dragons a 75-64 win.
With the win the Dragons will advance to the 3A State Tournament and also to the 7-AAA Region Tournament Semifinals where they will take on the #2 seeded White County Warriors. The Warriors, outlasted #7 seed Lumpkin County 58-50 in overtime to advance. The Dragons and Warriors split their two regular season match ups. Both winning on their home floor. The third meeting will take place at a neutral site as they will play at Dawson. Tip off time is set for 5:30.
Dragons will be #3 seed in next week’s region tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 11, 2023
Oakwood, Ga — After a tough game at home on Tuesday, February 7th against the now 7-AAA regular season champs Wesleyan, the Pickens Dragons, had one game left in the regular season. On Friday, February 10th, they traveled down to take on the West Hall Spartans. With a win, the Dragons would leap Gilmer for the #3 seed in the 7-AAA region tournament. It was a back and forth game with Pickens staging a late comeback to defeat the Spartans, 62-58.
The Spartans, got things going to begin the first quarter as Andrew Malin hit a floater in the lane to make it 2-0 early on. Jaden Stewart tied things up at 2 as he took the hand off from Kadyn Hampton and banked in a floater of his own. Hampton, then stole the ball and found McCord Purdy for a three pointer to give the Dragons a 5-2 lead. Malin, hit a free throw line jumper to cut the lead to 5-4. Owen Jenkins, gave West Hall its first lead of the game with a layup.
Caleb Lanford, answered with a three to give Pickens the lead back at 8-6. Hampton, then drove into the lane and got fouled. He would split the free throws to make it 9-6. Isaiah Holder, got a turnaround shot to go to cut the Dragons lead down to 9-8. Pickens, then went on a 6-0 run getting a lay in from Hampton, and two straight buckets from Purdy to make it 15-8. Quintavous Reid, would go on a 5-0 run to close the first quarter as the Dragons led, 15-13.
Reid, continued his scoring run into the second quarter as he tied the game up at 15. Lanford, ended what ended up being a 7-0 run with a lay in after a nice find by Hampton to put Pickens back on top, 17-15. West Hall, quickly retook the lead with a three pointer by Holder to make it 18-17. Stewart responded with a three of his own to make it 20-18 Dragons. The Spartans, then tied it at 20 with a layup as each team traded baskets.
James Tilley, retook the lead for Pickens as he made his first three of the game. Holder, made a layup after a bounce pass from Reid to make it 23-22 Dragons. Caleb Keith, then found Tilley for a mid range shot to make it 25-22. After a bucket by Reid, Stewart and Tilley made back to back three pointers to make it 31-24. A 4-0 run by West Hall cut the Dragons lead down to 31-28. Stewart, ended the run with a basket to make it 33-28.
A 5-0 run by the Spartans would tie the game back up. This time, at 33 a piece. With 2 seconds remaining in the first half, Isaiah Williams made a layup after a great pass by Purdy to put the Dragons up 35-33 over the Spartans at the break.
Lanford, got the scoring started in the second half with a three to make it 38-33 Pickens. Malin, got a pair of free throws to fall and Holder hit a three to tie the game at 38. Hampton, caught a pass from Lanford as he was cutting in the lane and laid it in to give the Dragons a 40-38 advantage. After Reid split a pair of free throws, Pickens went on a 5-0 run with Williams making a layup and Lanford hitting a three to make it 45-39.
Malin, split a pair of free throws to cut the Dragons lead down to 45-40. Williams, got a nice entry pass from Lanford as he would hit a turnaround floater to make it 47-40. The Spartans, then hit a three to make it 47-43. Williams, was then at the right place at the right time as he picked up a loose ball and laid it in to make it 49-43. With the game clock draining in the third, Xavier Felix threw up a contested corner three and made it to make it 49-46 Dragons going to the fourth.
Holder, got the scoring going in the fourth for the Spartans as he cut the Pickens lead down to 49-48. After a pair of free throws by Tilley, made it 51-48 Dragons. West Hall, would then go on a 10-0 run to take a 58-51 lead. Williams, ended the run as he split a pair of free throws to make it 58-52. He then cut the lead down to 58-55 after a three pointer. After a timeout by the Dragons, Lanford added to the run by making back to back baskets to put Pickens in front, 59-58.
With around 13 seconds left in the game, Hampton poked the ball loose and Williams was able to force a jump ball with the arrow pointing the way of the Dragons. With no choice but to foul, the Spartans put Stewart on the line to shoot the one and one. Stewart, made the front end, but would miss the second attempt to make it 60-58. On their next possession, West Hall threw the ball out of bounds. Turning it over. The Spartans fouled Tilley with 5 seconds left, and he calmly knocked down both shots to seal a 62-58 win for the Dragons.
Final 7-AAA Boys Basketball Standings:
Wesleyan: 19-6 (10-2) regular season champs & #1 seed
White County: 14-11 (8-4) #2 seed
Pickens: 12-12 (7-5) #3 seed
Gilmer: 17-8 (7-5) #4 seed
West Hall: 12-13 (6-6) #5 seed
Dawson: 9-16 (3-9) #6 seed
Lumpkin: 4-21 (1-11) #7 seed
The Dragons, will now look towards the 7-AAA Region Tournament next week as it will begin on Tuesday, February 14th at White County. As you see in the standings above, Pickens will be the #3 seed and take on the #6 seeded Dawson Tigers for a chance to make the 3A State Tournament. The Tigers, swept the season series with the Dragons taking the first game on December 13th 77-61 in Dawsonville, and the second game on January 26th 59-54 in Jasper. Tip off for the third meeting is set for 6 pm.
Nettes defeat Lady Spartans, will face Dawson on Monday in region tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 11, 2023
Oakwood, Ga — It was the final night of the regular season as the Pickens Dragonettes traveled down to Oakwood, Ga to take on the West Hall Lady Spartans on Friday, February 10th. The Nettes, defeated the Lady Spartans in Jasper on January 17th, and looked to complete the season sweep ahead of next week’s region tournament. In a great game by everyone involved, Pickens picked up a 61-8 win over West Hall.
The Nettes, started the game on fire going on a massive run. It began early on in the first quarter with a quick basket. Freshman Ellison Steinhauer, stole the ball, took it all the way down the court, made the layup, got fouled, and coverted the and-1 to make it 5-0. Pickens, would then force a shot clock violation on the Lady Spartans. Caroline Mullins would find Emma Gleason underneath the basket for the lay in to make it 7-0.
The scoring continued for the Nettes as Ashaela Buchanan and Ellison Steinhauer hit back to back three pointers to make it 13-0. In the last remaining seconds of the first quarter, Emery Steinhauer grabbed the ball after a block by Mullins and raced down the court and laid the ball in just before the buzzer to make it 15-0 Nettes going to the second.
To open up the second quarter, Ellison Steinhauer got possession of the ball after a wide pass by West Hall and found a streaking Brylee Deering for the layup to make it 17-0. Steinhauer, Ellison that is, then got another steal and took it coast to coast for the bucket to make it 19-0. After a block by Bella Hopkins, Pickens was able to save the ball and Hopkins took it all the way for the lay in.
Hopkins then stole the in-bounds pass and got fouled. She would make both free throws to make it 23-0. Mullins, got in the score book as she received the in-bounds pass from Emery Steinhauer and got the short shot to fall to make it 25-0. Buchanan, then made back to back three pointers to make it 31-0. Mullins, was able to drive into the lane and make the layup with contact. She would complete the and-1 to make it 34-0. Emery Steinhauer, hit a three pointer to make it 37-0 as they hit halftime.
Bella Hopkins, got the second half started with a pair of free throws to make it 39-0. The Lady Spartans would then finally break their drought and get on the board with a three pointer to make it 39-3. The Nettes, then went on an 8-0 run as they got baskets from Ellison Steinhauer, Mullins, and Emmie Moore. Hopkins also made a pair of free throws during the run to make it 47-3.
West Hall, ended the run with a free throw line jumper to make it 47-3. Deering, split a pair of free throws and Ellison Steinhauer would make both of hers as the Nettes took a 50-5 lead into the fourth quarter.
In a shortened fourth quarter, Pickens got the scoring started as Mullins found a cutting Gleason for the lay up to make it 52-5. That would turn into a 6-0 run as Hopkins and Deering both got layups after steals to make it 56-5. The Lady Spartans ended the run as they made a contested shot and got the free throw to go to make it 56-8. The Nettes would close the game on a 5-0 run as Moore found Emery Steinhauer for a three pointer, and Deering got another layup to go after another steal. The final score in this one, 61-8.
Final 7-AAA Girls Region Standings:
Lumpkin County: 21-3 (11-1) region champion & #1 seed
Wesleyan: 21-3 (10-2) #2 seed
White County: 18-7 (8-4) #3 seed
Pickens: 19-6 (7-5) #4 seed
Dawson County: 12-13 (4-8) #5 seed
Gilmer: 6-19 (2-10) #6 seed
West Hall: 3-22 (0-12) #7 seed
The Nettes, will now turn their attention to the 7-AAA Region Tournament that starts on Monday, February 13th. Pickens, as seen above, will be the #4 seed in the tournament and take on the #5 seeded Dawson Lady Tigers. The Nettes swept the Lady Tigers during the regular season winning 62-46 on December 13th in Dawsonville and 46-37 on January 26th in Jasper. Tip off for this third meeting is set for 4:30 pm on Monday. The game will be played at Wesleyan.