Panthers earn big win against Wildcats in Tiger

Rabun Co. Basketball, TeamFYNSports
Panthers Wildcats

After leading by just one point at the end of the first quarter, the Union Co. Panthers blew open the game in the second quarter, outscoring Rabun Co. 22-7 in the period on the way to a 74-47 Region 8-AA victory Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Panthers Wildcats

Union Co. senior Kyle Morlock goes up for a shot against Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Seniors Sawyer Drake and Pierson Allison each had a game-high 17 points with neither playing in the fourth quarter for Union Co. (12-9, 7-4).

Panthers Wildcats

From left, Rabun Co. senior Phillip Roberson, Union Co. senior Sawyer Drake, and Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams battle for position Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Rabun Co. (7-14, 5-6) was led by sophomore Connor McKay’s 16 points. He was the only player in double figures for the Wildcats.

The game was close early as the home crowd helped fuel Rabun Co.’s energy to keep pace with the high-scoring Panthers. The Wildcats trailed by just one point, 18-17, at the end of the period.

That was as close as Rabun Co. would get as the Panthers exploded for 22 points in the second quarter while holding the Wildcats to just seven.

Allison led the way in the second for Union Co. with eight points, while Drake scored seven, and junior Kaston Hemphill added five. Hemphill finished with seven points on the night.

Coming out of halftime, the Panthers held a commanding 40-24 lead before senior Kyle Morlock look over in the paint.

Morlock scored eight of his 13 points in the third and the Panthers began to truly pull away and take a 57-36 lead into the fourth.

Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams goes up against Union Co. junior Kaston Hemphill on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Rabun Co. sophomore Connor McKay goes up against Union Co. junior Kaston Hemphill on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

The big lead allowed Union Co. head coach Corey Garrett to rest several of his starters and give his bench players a lot of floor experience.

Panthers Wildcats

Rabun Co. senior Sam Adams goes up for a shot as Union Co. senior Sawyer Brey tries for the block Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

Sophomore Landon Kight (5), senior Sawyer Brey (4), senior Bryson Lariscy (3), sophomore Austin Taylor (3), sophomore Logan Helcher (2), sophomore Daniel Snow (2), and sophomore Landon Cox (1) rounded out the scoring for Union Co.

The Panthers won’t have much time to celebrate the win, however. They are set to take on Putnam Co. (6-15, 5-6) at 4:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25, in an important region game.

For the Wildcats, sophomore Clayton Dixon scored eight, while senior Phillip Roberson, junior Nick Bradley, and sophomore Grayson Carver each scored five. Sophomore Gus Hood and freshman Jayton Henry both scored three for Rabun Co.

The Wildcats will need to move on from the loss quickly as they visit Monticello (5-17, 3-8) at 5:30 p.m. today, Jan. 25.

The Region 8-AA standing are Social Circle (10-1), Banks Co. (8-2), Union Co. (7-4), Rabun Co. (5-6), Putnam Co. (5-6), Elbert Co. (4-6), Monticello (3-8), and Oglethorpe Co. (1-10).

 

 

 

Lady Wildcats use suffocating defense to defeat Lady Panthers

Rabun Co. Basketball, Team FYN Sports
Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

Using a stifling pressure defense and a hot hand off the bench, the third-ranked Rabun Co. Lady Wildcats took down seventh-ranked Union Co. on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger to earn a fourth-straight Region 8-AA win.

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

From left, Rabun Co. senior Destiny Deetz, Union Co. sophomore Ava Hunter, and Rabun Co. sophomore Loren Stiles battle for a rebound Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

The Lady Wildcats (20-1, 10-1) started the game on a 6-0 run and never trailed the visiting Lady Panthers (17-5, 8-3) in the 72-39 victory.

After missing last season with an ACL injury, sophomore Carley Haban returned in November and has her best game of the season off the bench against Union Co., scoring a game-high 22 points.

But it was the Lady Wildcats defense that stole the show, forcing turnovers early and often.

“Honestly, that’s the best game we’ve played all year, and it was against a really good Union Co. team,” Rabun Co. coach DeeDee Dillard said. “Our defense really provided a lot of opportunities for us tonight.”

The Lady Wildcats normally play a full-court, pressure defense intent on trapping opponents and forcing turnovers, and Dillard said how the defense plays really determines how the offense plays.

“When we play aggressive on defense, we seem to play really aggressive on offense, and that was the case tonight,” Dillard said.”

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

Rabun Co. sophomore Carley Habanero’s drives into the lane against Union Co. sophomore Ava Hunter, left, and senior Kait McCarter on Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger. Habanero’s finished with a game-high 22 points off the bench.

As for the Lady Panthers, coach Crystal Beach said the team fell into a pattern of trying to dribble too much to beat the Rabun Co. press.

“We just have to focus on passing more effectively,” Beach said. “We actually managed to break the press several times by passing the ball well, which is how we scored most of our points. But (Rabun Co.) did a really great job putting pressure on us all night and we let that pressure affect us.”

Sophomore Ava Hunter led Union Co. with 14 points, while senior Andelin Hill scored 10 in the loss.

The Lady Panthers won’t have much time to get over the big loss, as they welcome fourth-ranked Putnam Co. (19-2, 10-1) to Blairsville at 3 p.m. today, Jan. 25. In the first meeting between the two teams this season Jan. 18, the Lady War Eagles came away with a 61-45 victory in Eatonton.

Beach said she isn’t worried about the quick turn around after the loss.

Lady Wildcats Lady Panthers

From left, Rabun Co. junior Beth Payne, Union Co. senior Andelin Hill, and Rabun Co. senior Hanna Cannon look for a rebound Friday, Jan. 24, in Tiger.

“I’m very lucky in that I have a great group of seniors who are phenomenal young women and leaders, and I have no doubt that they will have the younger players set to come out ready to go,” Beach said.

For Rabun Co., sophomore Gracie Deetz scored 11, and senior Laken Stiles added 10 in the win.

Much like Union Co., the Lady Wildcats won’t have much time to dwell on Friday’s game. They are set to take the drive south and take on region-foe Monticello (3-17, 2-9) at 4 p.m. today, Jan. 25.

In the first meeting between the two this season, Rabun Co. earned a 72-23 victory in Tiger.

The Region 8-AA standings are currently Putnam Co. (10-1), Rabun Co. (10-1), Union Co. (8-3), Elbert Co. (6-5), Banks Co. (5-6), Social Circle (2-8), Monticello (2-9), and Oglethorpe Co. (0-10).

Putnam Co. and Rabun Co. are set to meet in the final game of the regular season Friday, Jan. 31, in Tiger.

 

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