Dragons get over .500 after defeating Rebels
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 29, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a tough game against the Creekview Grizzlies last week, the Pickens Dragons came into their game against the Fannin Rebels on Tuesday, November 28th looking to get back over .500. The Rebels, were looking to get their season started off on the right foot with a road victory. The Dragons, were able to pull away in the second half to secure a 75-45 victory.
The first quarter started off as a turnover fest for both teams early on. Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws to give the Dragons a 1 point lead. The Rebels, took their first lead after a layup by Cole Gribble. After the two teams traded buckets, the Dragons would go on a small 4-0 run as McCord Purdy hit a three and Caleb Lanford made a basket to make it 15-11 Pickens. Ben Bloch, hit two free throws to cut the lead to two.
Just before the buzzer went off to end the first quarter, Purdy got off a corner jumper and got the kind home bounce to make it 17-13 Dragons going to the second.
Parker Davis, got the scoring started in the second quarter as his bucket made it 19-13. The Rebels would cut into the lead after Jordan Richardson split a pair of free throws and Gribble made a layup to make it 19-16. A 4-0 run by Parker Davis stretched the lead out to 23-16. Richardson, would hit a three to end the mini run and cut the lead to four. The Dragons, would then go on a 10-0 run as Dodge Davis, Hayden Jones, and Purdy all contributed to the run.
The Rebels, got another three from Richardson out of a time out and Bloch split a pair of free throws to make it 33-23. Jones would get the final bucket of the first half as the Dragons went into the break up 35-23.
To start the second half, Kolton Kaylor hit a three to cut the lead to nine. After both teams traded baskets, Purdy went on a 5-0 run to make it 42-28. Later on in the third, Lanford matched Purdy with a 5-0 run of his own. After Bloch ended the run with a three, Purdy again beat the buzzer as he nailed a three to make it 51-33 Dragons going to the fourth.
Dodge Davis got the scoring going for the Dragons in the fourth with a pair of free throws. After a bucket by Bloch, Nathan Wallace got his first points with a three to make it 56-35. Purdy and Lanford, hit back to back three pointers to make it 62-37. After Dodge and Parker Davis traded baskets, Jamin Martin got his name in the score book with a layup to make it 72-41. The Rebels, ended the Dragons run as Keaton Watkins and Matthew Ponton both made a pair of free throws to make it 72-45.
Montego Morgan closed out the scoring for the night as he hit a three to also get his name in the score book as the Dragons moved to 3-2 on the season winning 75-45.
Scoring for the Dragons:
McCord Purdy: 26 points
Caleb Lanford: 12 points
Dodge Davis: 12 points
Parker Davis: 10 points
Hayden Jones: 7 points
Montego Morgan: 3 points
Nathan Wallace: 3 points
Jamin Martin: 2 points
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, December 5th as they head up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Bobcats to begin 7-AAA play. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Mullins hits 1K career points as Nettes move to 5-0
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 29, 2023
Jasper, Ga — For the first time in a decade the Pickens Dragonettes hosted the Fannin County Lady Rebels at PHS on Tuesday, November 28th. Coming into the game, the Nettes, were 4-0 and ranked 4th in the 3A top ten. The Lady Rebels, had not played a game up until this point as they were looking to get their ’23-’24 season tipped off. The Nettes, jumped out to an early lead in this one and used it to propel themselves to a 56-29 win.
The first quarter started out slow for both teams as there were more fouls than points early on. Reese Lewis, split a pair of free throws to give the Lady Rebels a 1-0 lead. The Nettes, would then get things rolling and go on a 17-0 run highlighted by UVA-Wise signee Caroline Mullins becoming the 21st Nettes player to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. Pickens, finished the first quarter on a 20-2 run as the Nettes led it, 20-3 going to the second.
Maggie Ledford, got things going for the Lady Rebels to start the second quarter as she hit a bucket to make it 20-5. The Nettes, would go on a 12-0 run to make it 32-5. The Lady Rebels, would go on a 6-0 run as Callie Ensley hit two free throws, and Izzie Jabaley and Lewis made baskets to make it 32-11. Ellison Steinhauer got the final bucket of the first half as the Nettes held a 34-11 lead at the half.
Mullins, got things rolling for the Nettes to start the second half as her basket made it 36-11. Young Harris signee Courtney Davis, picked up her first points of the game with a tough bucket and Ledford followed with a basket of her own to make it 36-15. The Nettes, would then go on a 9-0 run as Steinhauer made two three pointers, and Mullins connected on one as well to make it 45-15. Davis, ended the run with her first three of the contest. The Nettes, closed out the third with an 8-0 run to make it 53-18 going to the fourth.
In a shortened fourth quarter, the Lady Rebels got 5 points from Davis, and buckets from Macy Hawkins, Ledford, and Jabaley. The Nettes, got a three pointer from Ashaela Buchanan. Final score from Jasper, Pickens 56 Fannin 29.
Scoring for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 17 points
Ellison Steinhauer: 17 points
Bella Hopkins: 15 points
Ashaela Buchanan: 3 points
Brylee Deering: 2 points
Caleigh Hoffard: 2 points
The Nettes, will be off for the rest of the week as they get ready to begin region play next week as they make the short trip up to Ellijay to take on the Gilmer Lady Cats on Tuesday, December 5th. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
Dragons come up short against Grizzlies
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 22, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a nice 50-46 win over Sonoraville on Monday, the Pickens Dragons were back on the court to take on the Creekview Grizzlies on Tuesday, November 21st. The Dragons, came into the game at 2-1. The Grizzlies, came into the game 1-3. The game was close throughout, and it would be the away team coming away with the win, 63-58.
The first quarter started off fast as both teams came out ready to score points. Caleb Lanford, gave the Dragons their first lead of the game after a three pointer put them up 13-12. A 5-0 run by the Grizzlies gave them a 17-13 advantage. As the first quarter came to a close, McCord Purdy put up a three point attempt just before the buzzer sounded and got it to go to make it 17-16 going to the second quarter.
The Grizzlies started the second quarter on a 4-0 run to stretch their lead 21-16. After a three by Lanford, Creekview would go on a 6-0 run to make it 27-19. Dodge Davis, cut that lead down to 5 after a three to make it 27-22. The Grizzlies, would then hit a pair of free throws to make it a 7 point game. The Dragons, went on 8-0 run helped by three pointers from Purdy and Nathan Wallace. Wallace capped off the run with a steal and layup to give the Dragons a 30-29 lead.
The Grizzlies, used a 5-0 run to retake a 34-30 lead. Purdy, nailed another three to cut the lead down to one. Just as the half was about to end, the Grizzlies hit a three to make it 37-33 going to the break.
The Dragons started the third quarter out hot as Lanford, Purdy, and Wallace combined for a 7-0 run to give Pickens the 40-37 lead. The Grizzlies, would answer with a 5-0 run to retake the lead by 2. Montego Morgan split a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 1. Both teams traded three pointers to end the quarter and as they headed to the fourth, the Grizzlies led the Dragons, 45-44.
Creekview opened up the fourth with a three to stretch their lead to 4. Morgan, was at the right place at the right time as Purdy slipped on his way to the basket and Morgan was there to grab it and lay it in. a 5-0 run by the Grizzlies made it 53-46. Lanford would cut into the lead with a bucket to make it 53-48. Later on in the quarter, Lanford would hit a three to cut the Grizzlies lead down to 59-55.
Lanford would hit another three with about 9 seconds remaining, but the Grizzlies would hold on to get the win, 63-58.
All-Tournament Team:
Caleb Lanford
McCord Purdy
The Dragons, will get the rest of the week off as they will be back on the court on Tuesday, November 28th when they take on the Fannin Rebels. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Nettes win Thanksgiving tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 22, 2023
Jasper, Ga — It was a battle of top ten teams in Jasper on Tuesday, November 21st as the #5 ranked team in 3A, the Pickens Dragonettes, welcomed the #9 team in 6A, the Creekview Lady Grizzlies. The Nettes, came into the game with a 3-0 record. The Lady Grizzlies, came in with a 2-1 record. The Nettes, had three score in double digits as they came away with the win, 60-42.
In the first quarter, Sophomore Ellison Steinhauer got things going with a nice up and under move for the layup. The Lady Grizzlies, got their first points and took the lead on the same shot as they were able to hit a corner three. Senior Bella Hopkins, put the Nettes back in front with a corner three of her own. After the Lady Grizzlies tied it up at 5, the Nettes controlled the rest of the quarter by going on an 11-0 run. Going to the second quarter, the Nettes led the Lady Grizzlies, 16-5.
A steal and a layup started the second quarter for the Lady Grizzlies as they looked to get something going. The Lady Grizzlies, would end up going on a 6-0 run before Hopkins nailed a three to put an end to it. That would spark a 10-0 run by the Nettes as Caroline Mullins would make back to back buckets and Hopkins would hit another three to make it 26-11. After the Lady Grizzlies split a pair of free throws and made a layup, Hopkins, drained another three to make it 29-14.
Steinhauer, got in on the three point fun as she hit her first of the night to make it 32-14. Heading into halftime, the Nettes held that same lead over the Lady Grizzlies, 32-14.
Creekview got the second half going with an early basket. Mullins, drew contact underneath on the other end and made a pair of free throws to make it 34-16. Later on in the third quarter, as the Lady Grizzlies were trying to make a run, Mullins received a nice entry pass from Steinhauer and finished with a turnaround layup to make it 36-24. On the next possession, Steinhauer drove in from the left corner with a stop and pop shot and made it. The two teams would trade baskets as the quarter closed. Going to the fourth, the Nettes led the Lady Grizzlies, 44-29.
The Nettes began the fourth quarter with Hopkins gathering in a rebound and taking it all the way for the bucket to make it 46-29. The Lady Grizzlies answered with a pass into one of their tall post players for the basket. Later in the fourth, after Creekview cut the lead down slightly, Hopkins, hit another three to make it 53-37. Reagan Ludington got her first points with a three to make it 56-39. After a three pointer by the Lady Grizzlies, the Nettes closed the game out with four free throw makes as they took this one, 60-42.
Scoring for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 24 points (Tournament MVP)
Bella Hopkins: 20 points (All-Tournament Team)
Ellison Steinhauer: 13 points: (All-Tournament Team)
Reagan Ludington: 3 points
The Nettes finish out the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament 3-0 and tournament champions. Now 4-0 on the season, the Nettes will have a week off until they are back on the court next Tuesday, November 28th when they host the Fannin County Lady Rebels. Tip off set for 6 pm.
Dragons defeat Phoenix to move to 2-1
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 21, 2023
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons came into the 2023-24 basketball with some familiar faces, some fresh faces, and under a new direction. Head coach Bob Martin is now the captain running the ship at PHS. The Dragons started off the season with a big 53-30 win over LFO on the road on Saturday, November 11th. The following Saturday saw the Dragons drop a tough one to Lassiter on the first day of the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament 60-53 in overtime.
On Monday, November 20th, the Dragons were back on the court taking on the Sonoraville Phoenix for the second day of the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament. In a tightly contested game, the Dragons were able to come out on top, 50-46.
In the first quarter, the Phoenix got on the board first for an early 2-0 lead. Dodge Davis tied things up for the Dragons with his first bucket of the night. The Dragons, took their first lead of the night as Dodge Davis and Caleb Landford hit back to back three pointers to make it 8-5. The Phoenix, then went on a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 10-8. Pickens, cut the lead to 1 after Dodge Davis split a pair of free throws to make it 10-9.
After both teams traded three point makes, Nathan Wallace picked the ball off and scored to make it 16-14 Phoenix going to the second quarter.
After four consecutive fouls were called to begin the second quarter, three of them on Sonoraville, Parker Davis got the scoring going with a free throw. Dodge Davis, continued his hot start and gave the Dragons the lead back with a bucket. Wallace, added to the lead with a three to make it 20-16 Pickens. Wallace, would extend the lead out to 7 as he was hit in the act of shooting a three and made all of them. Montego Morgan got into the scorebook as he hit a nice jumper after using a nifty move to get open.
After both teams traded a couple of baskets, the Phoenix went on a 4-0 run to close out the first half. Going into the break, the Dragons led, 29-24.
The third quarter began with Lanford going on a personal 5-0 run to make it 34-24. A 5-0 run by the Phoenix cut the lead down to 34-29. After a bucket by Lanford, the rest of the quarter turned into fouls and free throws. As the teams headed to the fourth, the Dragons led it, 37-33.
The Phoenix, started the fourth quarter scoring early as a 5-0 run gave them the lead for the first time since the first half. Hayden Jones would split a pair of free throws to tie the game up at 38. Jones would then give the Dragons the lead with a basket to make it 40-38. After a three was hit by Sonoraville to give them the 1 point lead, Parker Davis stepped to the line and made both to once again, put the Dragons ahead.
The lead kept changing hands every few seconds it seemed as a floater by the Phoenix gave them a 1 point advantage. Huge back to back three pointers from Parker Davis and McCord Purdy gave the Dragons a 48-43 lead. A three pointer by the Phoenix cut the lead down to just two with well under a minute to go. Purdy, headed to the line looking to seal for the Dragons and the Sophomore did just that. Dragons hold on and take this one, 50-46.
Scoring for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 13 points
Dodge Davis: 9 points
Nathan Wallace: 8 points
McCord Purdy: 7 points
Parker Davis: 6 points
Hayden Jones: 5 points
Montego Morgan: 2 points
The Dragons, will be back in action on Tuesday, November 21st to close out the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament as they play host to the Creekview Grizzlies. Tip off set for 7:30 pm.
Nettes move to 3-0 after defeating Sonoraville
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports November 21, 2023
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragonettes, came into the season ranked 5th in the 3A rankings. The Nettes, opened the season by defeating Rabun Gap-Nachoocee 54-47 on Saturday, November 11th. A week later, the Nettes, would host the Denmark Lady Danes on the first day of the Pickens Holiday Tournament. Pickens, would come away with a 61-25 win.
On Monday, November 20th, the Nettes would host the Sonoraville Lady Phoenix. It was a long game and there were a lot of fouls called on both sides. In the end, the Nettes, moved to 3-0 with a 74-61 win.
In the first quarter, the Nettes, got the scoring started as Caroline Mullins found Ellie Hollis underneath for a layup. The Lady Phoenix, would then tie it up with a bucket of their own. Ellison Steinhauer, would give the Nettes the lead back with a three. Steinhauer, would be fouled on the shot and she would hit the free throw to make it 6-2. After a layup by the Lady Phoenix, Mullins answered with a three to make it 9-4.
Steinhauer, completed her second 4-point play of the quarter as she made the three as she was fouled and hit the free throw to make it 13-6. Older sister Emery Steinhauer, would add to the lead as she split a pair of free throws. A three pointer from the Lady Phoenix cut the lead down to 5, then Ellison Streinhauer and Caroline Mullins answered with a 5-0 combined run to make it 21-11. Both teams scored 5 points to end the first, a the Nettes led things going to the second quarter, 26-16.
Bella Hopkins got things going in the second quarter by making a pair of free throws to make it 28-16. After a three by the Lady Phoenix, Reagan Ludington answered with a three of her own to stretch the lead to double digits. The Lady Phoenix, would get the lead down to 8 as the two teams traded baskets and fouls for the majority of the quarter. The Nettes, closed on a 4-0 run to make it 40-28 going into the half.
To start the second half, the Lady Phoenix would make a layup and hit a free throw to cut it to 40-31. After a couple of buckets were exchanged, the Nettes held a 44-34 lead. Later on in the quarter, a 5-0 run from Sonoraville cut the lead to 7. The Nettes, fired back with a 5-0 themselves and it was back to being a 12 point game. Heading to the fourth, the Nettes led it, 52-41.
The fourth quarter, was a tightly contested one, but the belonged to Caroline Mullins. She poured in 13 of her 28 points in the fourth to help propel the Nettes past the Lady Phoenix 74-61.
Stats for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 28 points
Ellison Steinhauer: 23 points
Ellie Hollis: 11 points
Bella Hopkins: 5 points
Reagan Ludington: 3 points
Emery Stienhauer: 1 point
The Nettes will be back on the court on Tuesday, November 21st for the final day of the Pickens Thanksgiving Tournament. They will be taking on the #8 ranked team in 6A, the Creekview Lady Grizzlies. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
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.
Dragons still in play for #3 seed in next week’s region tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 10, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a big win over White County on Friday, February 3rd, the Pickens Dragons found themselves in a tie for 2nd in the 7-AAA region standings. On Tuesday, February 7th the Dragons welcomed the #9 team in 3A, the Wesleyan Wolves for a big game in 7-AAA. The Wolves, who came in as the top team in the region, defeated the Dragons earlier in the season and the Dragons were looking to earn the in season split. After a back and forth first half, Wesleyan took over in the second half to pick up a 62-48 win.
The Dragons started the game off hot with two straight three pointers from Jaden Stewart and Caleb Lanford to go up 6-0 early. James McGriff, ended the run with a bucket to make it 6-2. Kadyn Hampton, then answered that with a basket to make it 8-2. McGriff, cut the Pickens lead in half with another make as it was now 8-4. Lanford, made his second three pointer of the quarter to stretch the lead out to 11-4.
Another McGriff basket made it 11-6. Josh Kavel, then added a pair of free throws to cut the Dragons lead down to 11-8. After a tough turnaround hook shot that Isaiah Williams banked in, Wesleyan went on a 6-0 run as Kavel, Thomas Chipman, and Brayden Tidwell put the Wolves on top for the first time at 14-13. Lanford, gave Pickens the lead back with a pair of free throws to close out the first quarter. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons led, 15-14.
The second quarter began with Henry Massie making a three pointer to give the Wolves a 17-14 lead. Camden Dunn, then tied the game with a basket. Massie, hit another three to give Wesleyan its biggest lead of the game up until this point at 20-17. The Dragons then went on a 4-0 run as Lanford and Nathan Wallace both got shots to drop and retake the lead, 21-20. McGriff, converted an and-1 play to give the Wolves a 23-21 lead.
Caleb Keith, made a bucket to tie things back up at 23 a piece. Kavel, made his first three pointer of the game to give Wesleyan a 26-23 lead. Dunn, then made back to back trips to the free throw line where he was able to tie the game back up at 26. Kavel, got into the lane and made the layup just before the second quarter buzzer to give the Wolves a 28-26 lead going into the break.
The third quarter, was not a kind one to the Dragons as Wesleyan took advantage. The Wolves started off the second half with a bucket from McGriff to make it 30-26. After a pair of free throws from Stewart, McGriff hit a three pointer to make it 33-28. Dunn, would split a pair of free throws to make it 33-29. Chipman, stretched the Wesleyan lead out to 35-29 with a bucket. Lanford, got the first field goal of the quarter for the Dragons as he made it 35-31.
The Wolves, closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run to open up their biggest lead of the game as they went to the fourth, 46-31.
McGriff, made a pair of free throws to begin the fourth quarter to give Wesleyan a 48-31 lead. Lanford, scored the forst points of the quarter for the Dragons to make it 48-33. Stewart, then hit a three pointer to cut it to 48-36. After the two teams went back and forth trading buckets, the Wolves led, 57-38. Keith, made a three pointer to make it 57-41. After a basket by Chipman, Keith hit another three and Hampton made a layup to make it 59-46.
Chipman made one free throw and Walker Huckaby made both free throws on back to back trips to make it 62-46. Hampton, got the final points of the game with a basket as Wesleyan came away with the 62-48 win.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Caleb Lanford: 14 points
Camden Dunn: 8 points
Caleb Keith: 8 points
Jaden Stewart: 8 points
Kadyn Hampton: 6 points
Nathan Wallace: 2 points
Isaiah Williams: 2 points
The Dragons, will be on the road on Friday, February 10th as they take on the West Hall Spartans in the final game of the regular season. It’s a big game for many reasons. One being that a win for the Dragons will make them the #3 seed in next week’s 7-AAA region tournament. The Dragons, could fall to the #5 spot with a loss so a lot is riding on this last regular season game. Tip off is set for 7:30 pm.
Nettes fall to Wesleyan; will be #4 seed in upcoming region tournament
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 10, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a big region win over 3A #5 White County last Friday, the Pickens Dragonettes looked for another one on Tuesday, February 7th as they welcomed the #3 team in 3A, the Wesleyan Lady Wolves. Wesleyan, defeated the Nettes earlier in the season, so the Nettes were looking to split the season series and move up in the region standings. In what was a good game overall, the Lady Wolves pulled away in the end and came away with a 58-46 win.
In the first quarter, the Lady Wolves got the scoring going with a basket by Audrey Ekoue-Bla to make it 2-0. Caroline Mullins, responded with a bucket to tie things up, then Ellison Steinhauer made a pair of free throws to give the Nettes a 4-2 lead. After a layup by Johanna Potter tied things up again, Bella Hopkins gave Pickens the lead back with a basket to make it 6-4 Nettes. Wesleyan, then went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead, 11-6.
A three pointer by Steinhauer cut the lead down to 11-9. Potter, answered with her own three pointer to make it 14-9. Ellie Hollis, cut the Lady Wolves lead down to 2 with a three pointer making it 14-12. After a timeout, the Lady Wolves went on a 5-0 run to stretch the lead out to 19-12. A bucket by Mullins cut the Wesleyan lead down to 19-14 as we headed to the second quarter.
Wesleyan opened the second quarter on a 4-0 run to make it 23-14. A basket by Hopkins ended the run to make it 23-16. Both teams then traded baskets as the Lady Wolves continued to lead, 25-18. Wesleyan, would then go on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 33-18. Emma Gleason, ended the run and also ended the first half scoring with a layup to make it 33-20 Lady Wolves going into the half.
Much like both the first and second quarters, Wesleyan opened the scoring in the third quarter with a layup by Potter to make it 35-20. After a bucket by Mullins, Eva Garabadian, made her first two point shot as she made a pair of three point shots in the first half. Mullins, then went on a 4-0 run to cut the Lady Wolves lead down to 37-26. A basket by Londyn Walker ended the mini Mullins run and made it 39-26 Wesleyan. Stienhauer, again made a pair of free throws to cut it down to 11 once again, 39-28.
Chazadi Wright, made a layup to make it 41-28. The Nettes, then went on a 5-0 run as Hopkins hit a three and then got to the basket for the lay in to make it 41-33. Walker, ended the Hopkins run with a bucket to make it 43-33. A three by Steinhauer cut it to 43-36 with just a few seconds left in the third. That would be enough time for Garabadian to hit her third three of the game just before the horn sounded at the end of the quarter to make it 46-36 Wesleyan going to the fourth.
The Lady Wolves, made it 4-4 starting the quarter scoring as Desiree Davis made a layup to stretch the lead to 48-36. Pickens, then answered with a 5-0 run as Mullins got the shot to go and Steinhauer hit a three to cut the lead to 48-41. Walker, would end the run by making the layup and then completing the and-1 making it 51-41. Mullins, made her first three of the game to cut it down to 7, 51-44. Walker and Steinhauer then traded buckets and it remained a 7 point game, 53-46. After a timeout was called by Wesleyan with under a minute to go in the game, the Nettes had to go into foul mode. The Lady Wolves, were able to hit some free throws at the end of the game to get the 58-46 win.
Leading scorers for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 17 points
Ellison Steinhauer: 15 points
Bella Hopkins: 9 points
Ellie Hollis: 3 points
Emma Gleason: 2 points
The Nettes, are locked in as the #4 seed in next week’s 7-AAA region tournament. They will take on the #5 seed Dawson Lady Tigers on Monday, February 13th at 4:30 for a chance to go to the 3A State Tournament. There’s still one more regular season game left before that as Pickens will travel to West Hall to take on the Lady Spartans on Friday, February 10th. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
Dragons move into a tie for 2nd with win over White County
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 4, 2023
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons, were playing some of their best ball heading into their game against the White County Warriors on Friday, February 3rd as they found themselves winners of three of their last four games looking to make it four out of their last five. Back on January 10th, these two met at White County, with the Warriors escaping with a 53-52 win after a 19-0 run by the Dragons to come back. With a win and some help, the Dragons could find themselves tied for 2nd in 7-AAA. And that’s exactly what happened as they picked up a 71-53 win.
The Dragons, got off to a hot start to begin the ball game as they went on a 15-0 run. Pickens, got points from Caleb Lanford, Caleb Keith, Kadyn Hampton, and 3 three pointers from Jaden Stewart during the run. After a bucket by the Warriors ended the long scoring run by the Dragons, McCord Purdy hit his first three pointer of the ball game to make it 18-2. Dawson Bailey, got his first points of the game with a three to make it 18-5 Dragons going to the second.
Camden Dunn got the scoring started in the second quarter as he split a pair of free throws to make it 19-5. David Boman, cut the Pickens lead down to 11 with a three to make it 19-8. The Dragons, then went on a 5-0 run as again Dunn split a pair of free throws, Isaiah Williams got a layup to go, and Stewart continued his early scoring ways with a bucket to make it 24-8. A basket by Braxton Anderson cut the Pickens lead down to 24-10. Dunn, then made a layup and got fouled in the process. Dunn completed the and-1 and made it 27-10.
The Warriors, then went on a 5-0 run as Bailey completed an and-1 play of his own and Tripp Nix got his first points of the game with a bucket to make it 27-15. A basket by Nathan Wallace put an end to that White County run to make it 29-15 Dragons. The Warriors, then went on a big run of their own as they would score 10 straight points to cut the Pickens lead all the way down to 29-25. Parker Davis, ended the run as he made a layup to stretch the lead to 31-25. That would be your score as the game hit halftime.
After the buzzer sounded to end the first half, Pickens was assessed a technical foul. The third quarter began with White County shooting technical free throws, and getting possession. That ended up being a four point swing as the Warriors cut it to 31-29. Dunn, stretched it back out to four with a layup making it 33-29. A three pointer from Zach McCoy made it a one point game at 33-32. The Dragons, then went on a 14-0 run as they got points from Dunn, Williams, and Kadyn Hampton to make it 47-32.
A bucket by the Warriors would put an end to the run making it 47-34. McCord Purdy, hit a three to make it a 16-point lead at 50-34. After Anderson completed an and-1 play, Purdy hit another three to make it 53-37. Anderson, cut it to 53-39 with a layup. Dunn, who had made a living getting into the paint and getting points that way, hit a three to make it 56-39. Purdy, closed a productive quarter for him and the Dragons with a tough basket to make it 58-39 going to the fourth.
Purdy, split a pair of free throws to begin the fourth quarter to make it 59-39. Nix, hit both of his free throw shots to cut it down to 18, 59-41. After a bucket by Caleb Keith, Dawson Oliver went on a personal 4-0 run to make it 61-45 Dragons. Stewart and Anderson would then trade buckets to make it 63-47. Anderson, was then fouled by Stewart and he would make one of the free throws to make it 63-48. Pickens, then went on a 6-0 run getting baskets from Dunn and Stewart, and a pair of free throws from Lanford to make it 69-48.
White County, got a bucket and a free throw in a quick 3-0 run to make it 69-51. Wallace, saw an open lane and took advantage for the layup to make it 71-51. Anderson, got a late layup for the Warriors, but the DRagons came away with the win, 71-53.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Camden Dunn: 17 points
Jaden Stewart: 15 points
McCord Purdy: 12 points
Kadyn Hampton: 7 points
Isaiah Williams: 6 points
Caleb Keith: 4 points
Caleb Lanford: 4 points
Nathan Wallace: 4 points
Parker Davis: 2 points
The Dragons, will be back at it on Tuesday, February 7th as they welcome 3A #9 Wesleyan Wolves to the Dragons Den. The Wolves, beat the Dragons at their place earlier in the season and Pickens will look to split the regular season series. Tip off time is set for 7:30.
Nettes get big win over 3A #5 White County
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports February 4, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After a tough loss to the #2 team in 3A and the defending state champions in 3A, the Lumpkin County Lady Indians on Tuesday, January 31st, the Pickens Dragonettes looked to rebound at home as they took on another top 5 ranked region foe, the White County Lady Warriors. Their first meeting earlier in the season came down to a last second shot in overtime as the Lady Warriors picked up the win at their place. The Nettes, got a great team effort and earned a 56-44 victory over White County.
In the first quarter, the Lady Warriors got the scoring started with a layup by Claire Beckman. Caroline Mullins, tied the game up with a layup and Ellison Steinhauer split a pair of free throws to give the Nettes their first lead of the game at 3-2. Mullins, extended the lead with her second bucket of the game to make it 5-2. Beckman, ended the 5-0 run with another layup to cut it to 5-4. After Mullins split a pair of free throws, White County went on their own 5-0 run as Chandler Weaver made a basket and Naomi Roberts hit a three to make it 9-6.
Pickens, ended the first quarter with a 6-0 run as Steinhauer made a layup, Madison Powell hit a three pointer, and Mullins split a pair of free throws to make it 12-9 Nettes going to the second quarter.
Nettes on offense early on
Steinhauer, kept the momentum from the first quarter going as she opened the second quarter with a bucket to make it 14-9. Weaver, hit a pair of free throws to cut the Pickens lead down to 14-11. Emma Lightsey, got her first points of the game with a three to tie things up at 14. Aaliyah Anderson gave the Lady Warriors the lead back with a basket to make it 16-14. Steinhauer, made both free throws to tie it back up at 16. Roberts, retook the lead for White County with a layup, then Lightsey, hit her second three pointer of the quarter to make it 21-16.
After Bella Hopkins got her first points of the game with a layup, Lightsey, made her third three pointer of the quarter to make it 24-18 Lady Warriors. Mullins and Hopkins then combined for back to back baskets to cut it down to 24-22. Roberts, split a pair of free throws just before the end of the first half to make it 25-22 White County heading into the break.
Nettes on defense against White County
Mullins, began the second half with a layup to cut the Lady Warriors lead down to 25-24. Lightsey, continued her hot shooting night with her fourth three pointer of the game to make it 28-24. Another bucket for Mullins cut it down to 28-26. Both teams then traded baskets and that made it 32-28 White County. The Nettes, would then go on a run. Steinhauer, would get the hoop and the harm as she completed the and-1 to make it 32-31.
Emmie Moore, then hit a three pointer for her first points of the game to make it 34-32 Pickens. Lightsey, not to be outdone, hit her second three pointer of the quarter and her fifth overall just before the end of the frame to give the Lady Warriors a 35-34 lead going to the fourth.
Nettes running an inbounds play
The Nettes, took the lead to start the scoring in the fourth quarter as Mullins hit a three pointer to make it 37-35. After several fouls, Mullins split a pair of free throws to make it 38-35. White County, then went on a 5-0 run as Roberts made the shot and the free throw to tie it up, and Weaver gave the Lady Warriors the lead with a bucket to make it 40-38. Ellie Hollis, tied the game back up as she got the layup to go. That layup to tie the game would spark Pickens to go on a game changing run.
That layup started what would end up being a 13-0 run as Mullins, Steinhauer, and Hopkins all contributed points after the Hollis layup to make it 51-40. Maci Shelnut, ended the run with a basket to make it 51-42. Steinhauer, then made a pair of free throws to make it 54-42. Roberts, made a pair of free throws for White County to make it 54-44. Steinhauer, then finished the game with another pair of free throws to give the Nettes a 56-44 win.
Leading scorers for the Nettes:
Caroline Mullins: 21 points
Ellison Steinhauer: 21 points
Bella Hopkins: 6 points
Emmie Moore: 3 points
Madison Powell: 3 points
Ellie Hollis: 2 points
The Nettes, will be back in action again on Tuesday inside the Dragons Den as they face a third straight top ten team in 3A and another region opponent in the Wesleyan Lady Wolves. Wesleyan, won the first match up earlier in the season at their place, and Pickens will look to earn the split. Tip off set for 6 pm.
Nettes go back in time with win over East Jackson
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 29, 2023
Jasper, Ga — After defeating the Dawson Lady Tigers on Thursday, January 26th, the Pickens Dragonettes turned back the clock as they hosted the East Jackson Lady Eagles inside the gym of Pickens Junior High School. The Lady Eagles, were coming off of a big win against Union County earlier in the week and looked to pick up another one against a bigger school. The first quarter was back and forth, but after that, the Nettes took over and grabbed a 63-36 victory.
The Nettes, began the ball game with a quick three pointer to go up 3-0 early. The Lady Eagles responded with a 5-0 run as they got a three pointer from Antonia Pittman to tie things up, then a layup by Destiny Rakestraw to take a 5-3 lead. After Caroline Mullins tied the game up at 5 with a layup, Rakestraw hit a three to reclaim the lead for East Jackson. Bella Hopkins, tied things back up with a three of her own to make it 8 all. Pittman and Hopkins then traded buckets as the game was still tied at 10 a piece.
Freshman Ellison Steinhauer then got going as she would score the last 6 points of the quarter for the Nettes. Pittman, made a three in between Steinhauer’s scoring run, but Pickens found themselves ahead going to the second, 16-13.
Nettes running an offensive set
Hopkins got the second quarter going with a layup to make it 18-13 Nettes. After the two teams traded turns scoring, Pickens went on a 10-0 run powered by Steinhauer as she scored 8 of the 10 points. Mullins added a layup during the run to make it 31-17. Pittman, ended the run with a tough layup to make it 31-19. Brylee Deering, hit a corner three to make it 34-19. After a Pittman three, Mullins made another layup to make it 36-22. A pair of free throws from Yasmine Clark made it 36-24. Hopkins, began the second quarter scoring and ended the second quarter scoring as she hit a three to make it 39-24 Nettes at the half.
Nettes on defense against the Lady Eagles
Pickens began the second half with a 6-0 run as Steinhauer and Hopkins combined for the run to make it 45-24 early in the third. Pittman, continued her good game with another layup to end the run and make it 45-26. The Nettes, then went on an 8-0 run as Hopkins split a pair of free throws, hit a three, and Mullins made back to back layups to extend the lead to 53-26. After Pittman hit a pair of free throws, Deering closed the third quarter on a personal 4-0 run to give Pickens a 57-28 lead going to the fourth.
Nettes with the ball in the 2nd half
Pittman, got the fourth quarter going with a layup to make it 57-30. Adrienne Plumley, split a pair of free throws tomake it 58-30. After another Pittman layup, the older Steinhauer, Emery, hit a three pointer to stretch the lead to 61-32. Plumley, picked up her first field goal of the as she made it 63-32. The Lady Eagles, ended the game on a 4-0 run as Pittman made a pair of free throws and Alani David made a layup. The Nettes, pick up the non-region win, 63-36.
Pickens, will be back in action on Tuesday, January 31st as they will travel up to Dahlonega in a rematch against the Lumpkin County Lady Indians. The first meeting in Jasper earlier in the season went down to the final shot. Both teams have been playing well as of late as the Lady Indians have won 5 straight and the Nettes have won 4 straight. Tip off is set for 6 pm.
Dragons 4th quarter comeback attempt falls just short against Dawson
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2023
Jasper, Ga — Much like the Dragonettes, the Pickens Dragons followed up a tough week with a very solid week defeating West Hall at home and outlasting Gilmer on the road in Ellijay. The Dragons, were back home on Thursday, January 26th hosting the Dawson Tigers in what was a huge 7-AAA region match up. The Tigers, took game one of the season series and looked to complete the sweep. Pickens, looked to split the series and retake 3rd place in the standings. The Dragons, made things interesting in the fourth, but fell to Dawson, 59-54.
The Tigers, got things going to begin the game with a three pointer by Trey Harvey. Isaiah Williams, tied things up with a three of his own to make it 3 a piece. Both teams then took turns scoring as Ethan Parker made a bucket for Dawson, followed by Camden Dunn for Pickens, then Harvey again to make it 7-5 Tigers. The Dragons then went on a mini 4-0 run as Williams and Kadyn Hampton each made layups to make it 9-7 Pickens.
The Tigers, then went on a 6-0 run as Caden Reed and Harvey both made baskets, and Tyler Mazzaferro hit a pair of free throws to make it 13-9 Dawson. Hampton ended the run with a tough bucket to make it 13-11. After a three pointer by Joshua Priest to make it 16-11, McCord Purdy made his first shot of the game answering back with a three to make it 16-14. Reed, made a layup to stretch it out to 18-14 Tigers going to the second.
Dragons on offense looking to take the lead
Reed, ended the first quarter scoring and began the second quarter scoring as he hit a three pointer to make it 21-14. Seth Cronic, got the scoring in the second quarter started for the Dragons with a layup to make it 21-16. That started what ended up being an 8-0 run for Pickens as Dunn and Jaden Stewart hit back to back three pointers to give the Dragons a 22-21 lead. After Harvey split a pair of free throws to tie it up at 22, he fouled Hampton on the way up for a layup. Hampton made the basket and converted the and-1 to make it 25-22 Pickens.
Dawson then went on a 4-0 run as both Mazzaferro and Reed both made buckets to make it 26-25 Tigers. Caleb Lanford, gave the Dragons the lead right back with a jumper to make it 27-26. Harvey and Reed combined to go on a 4-0 run to close the first half and give the Tigers a 30-27 lead going to the break.
Dragons defending a shot attempt
Much like the first two quarters, Dawson began the second half with a three pointer by Priest to make it 33-27. After a layup by Williams, Harvey hit a three to make it 36-29 Tigers. Dunn cut it to four with a three pointer as the Dragons looked to stay in it. The Tigers, then went on a 5-0 run as Reed made a basket, and Priest made another three to make it 41-32. A mad scramble for the ball led to Parker Davis coming up with it and making the layup to cut it to 41-34. Reed answered with a three pointer to make it 44-34 Dawson.
Lanford, got one to go as he made it 44-36. Priest, hit his third three pointer of the quarter as he stretched the Tiger lead out to 47-36. Hampton, closed the third quarter scoring with a bucket to make it 47-38 Dawson going to the fourth.
Dragons on offense in the second half
To start the fourth quarter, Hampton got fouled on a shot attempt and split the pair of free throws to make it 47-39. Dawson responded with a bucket by Reed and a three pointer by Mazzaferro to make it 52-39. Lanford, got fouled and made both free throws to cut it to 52-41. Stewart then followed with a three pointer. Dunn and Lanford both made tough baskets to cut the Tiger lead down to 52-48. Harvey, ended the 9-0 run with a three pointer to make it 55-48. Dunn, made another layup as he’d cut it to 55-50. Dawson then had trouble making their free throws.
Owen Walls, made one free throw, and that gave the Dragons a chance. Dunn and Hampton made back to back layups to cut the Tiger lead down to 56-54. After Reed split a pair of free throws, the Dragons drew up a play for a potential game tying three. The three point attempt was no good, and Reed would make a pair of free throws to seal the win for Dawson, 59-54.
Leading scorers for the Dragons:
Camden Dunn: 14 points
Kadyn Hampton: 12 points
Caleb Lanford: 8 points
Isaiah Williams: 7 points
Jaden Stewart: 6 points
McCord Purdy: 3 points
Seth Cronic: 2 points
Parker Davis: 2 points
The Dragons, will now look to bounce back as they will go back on the road on Tuesday, January 31st as they take on the Lumpkin Indians. Pickens, defeated the Indians earlier in the season in Jasper and will look to earn the season sweep and stay within the top four in the standings. Tip off set for 7:30.
Nettes earn sweep of Lady Tigers after defensive battle
PHS Basketball, Team FYN Sports January 27, 2023
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragonettes, followed up a tough week with a really good week having beaten West Hall on Senior Night on Tuesday, January 17th, and sweeping the season series against Gilmer in Ellijay on Friday, January 20th. On Thursday, January 26th, the Nettes welcomed the Dawson Lady Tigers to Roy Cowart Court. In a very hard fought game, Pickens came away with a big region win over Dawson, 46-37.
The Nettes got the scoring started in the first quarter with a pair of free throws from Emma Gleason to make it 2-0. After a bit of back and forth from both teams, the Lady Tigers grabbed their first lead of the game with a three pointer by Kindra Coker and a layup by Morgan Chester to make it 5-2. Madison Powell got the first points of the game from the field for Pickens as she tied the game up with a three. Caroline Mullins, then split a pair of free throws to give the Nettes a 6-5 lead.
Dawson, then went on a 4-0 run as Chester and Morgan Burt made back to back layups to make it 9-6 Lady Tigers. Ellison Steinhauer, split a pair of free throws to make it 9-7. Dawson, then went on another run as Kirklyn Porter made a pair of free throws, and the Eva Bishop made back to back shots to make it 15-7. A bucket by Mullins would make it 15-9 Lady Tigers going to the second quarter.
Nettes with the ball in the first quarter
The second quarter, belonged to the Nettes. The quarter started off with a 4-0 run by Ellison Steinhauer to cut the Dawson lead down to 15-13. The Lady Tigers got two points back with a pair of free throws by Anna Ayers to make it 17-13. That would be the only points Dawson would score in the quarter as Pickens held them scoreless from the field during the frame. After the free throws, the Nettes went on a 10-0 run getting back to back layups from Gleason, a free throw make from Steinhauer, a three pointer and layup from Mullins to make it 23-17 Pickens going into the half.
Nettes allowed zero field goals in the second quarter
Chester opened the scoring in the second half as she made a layup to cut the Nettes lead to 23-19. Pickens, responded with a 6-0 run as Mullins, Emory Bryant, and Bella Hopkins each made baskets to extend the Nettes lead out to 29-19. Chester, ended the run with another layup to make it 29-21 Pickens as we’d head to the fourth quarter with the Nettes up by that same score.
Nettes with the ball early on in the 2nd half
To begin the fourth quarter, both teams traded buckets as Bishop scored for Dawson, Bryant scored for the Nettes, than Chester scored for the Lady Tigers making it 31-25 Pickens. As the quarter went on, both teams kept answering each other as they traded baskets. The Nettes, kept the lead at a distance and were able to pull out a 46-37 win over Dawson to get the in season sweep.
Leading Scorers for the Nettes:
Ellison Steinhauer: 15 points
Caroline Mullins: 12 points
Emma Gleason: 6 points
Bella Hopkins: 6 points
Emory Bryant: 4 points
Madison Powell: 3 points
The Nettes, will be back in action on Saturday, January 28th as they host the East Jackson Eagles in non-region action. It’ll be a special game as the game is being played at the Pickens Junior High gym Tip off is set for 3 pm.