SOUTH PITTSBURG-Prior to hosting conference rival Pickett County Tuesday night after HORIZON press time, both Clay County High School basketball teams finished last week with 2-1 records, after notching convincing wins here over the weekend.

The teams’ only losses came at district foe Gordonsville to start the week, before they won back-to-back doubleheaders at home versus Red Boiling Springs (RBS) and on the road at South Pittsburg.

The Bulldogs ran their impressive record to 13-4 overall and 3-2 in District 7-A, while the Lady Bulldogs improved to 8-11 on the season and 3-2 in league play.

It took double overtime for the Tigerettes to knock off the Lady Dawgs 77-68, while the Tigers held on in regulation to defeat the Dawgs 68-63.

Ella Eads (22), Natalie Smith (16), and Baylor Walden (13) all reached double-digit scoring in the loss, where the Clay County girls trailed the entire first half, before rallying to lead 38-35 heading into the final frame.

Eads and Walden made clutch free throws late to put the Lady Dawgs up by three points in the waning seconds, but the Tigerettes hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime and gained control in the second extra period to claim the victory.

The Dawgs suffered the same fate to the Tigers, despite Nolan Adams dropping 27 points and his older brother Nate scoring 16 in the highly-competitive contest.

The Clay County boys led by two points at the end of the first quarter, but they fell behind by nine at the break and never led again.

Gordonsivlle did have to fend off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Bulldogs, but they were able to do so and notch the district win.

The final two victories of the week for both teams then came without drama.

The Lady Dawgs beat RBS 51-33 behind a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double from Laci Wix and double-digit scoring from both Smith and Eads, before the dominated South Pittsburg 74-31.

Against the Lady Pirates, Haylen Garrison knocked down four threes to lead the Lady Dawgs with 14 points, while Eads (11), Walden (10), and Kaleah Crawford (10) joined her in double figures.

The Dawgs followed suit with a 76-18 blowout of RBS and a 66-51 victory over the Pirates.

Nate Adams (14) and Cole Eads (13) led the Clay County boys in the win over the other Bulldog team, while Lance Burchett got hot from behind the arc at South Pittsburg with seven made three-pointers and 24 total points.

Like Burchett, Nate (17) and Nolan Adams (11) and Eads (10) all reached double figures in the win over the Pirates.

This week both teams were set to host Pickett County Tuesday night for conference rematches, before welcoming Monterey to town Friday and making a trip to Clarkrange the following Tuesday, February 4.

All three of those matchups will be carried live by the Horizon Sports Network, with a video live-stream available on the Dale Hollow Horizon Facebook page and audio-only coverage online at www.dalehollowhorizon.com/listen.

BOX SCORES

January 21st

Lady Bulldogs:

9, 13, 16, 19, 5, 6—68

Gordonsville:

13, 13, 9, 22, 5, 15—77

LADY DAWGS (68)-Ella Eads 22, Natalie Smith 16, Baylor Walden 13, Haylen Garrison 9, Laci Wix 5, Claire Kendall 3.

Bulldogs:

13, 9, 13, 28—63

Gordonsville:

11, 20, 13, 20—68

DAWGS (63)-Nolan Adams 27, Nate Adams 16, Lance Burchett 7, Hayden Adams 6, Warner Melton 6, Cole Eads 1.

January 24th

Lady Bulldogs:

13, 12, 11, 15—51

Red Boiling:

4, 13, 9, 7—33

LADY DAWGS (51)-Laci Wix 14, Natalie Smith 13, Ella Eads 11, Brooklyn Scott 6, Haylen Garrison 3, Baylor Walden 2, Lila Birdwell 2.

Bulldogs:

20, 22, 15, 19—76

Red Boiling:

3, 5, 3, 7—18

DAWGS (76)-Nate Adams 14, Cole Eads 13, Nolan Adams 9, Lance Burchett 7, Warner Melton 7, Isaiah Burnette 7, Jake Copeland 6, Hayden Adams 5, Julien Villa 3, Fletcher Strong 3, Caden Copeland 2.

January 25th

Lady Bulldogs:

20, 21, 22, 11—74

South Pittsburg:

7, 9, 9, 6—31

LADY DAWGS (74)-Haylen Garrison 14, Ella Eads 11, Baylor Walden 10, Kaleah Crawford 10, Natalie Smith 9, Claire Kendall 7, Laci Wix 6, Jenna Thompson 4, Lila Birdwell 3.

Bulldogs:

24, 19, 9, 14—66

South Pittsburg:

14, 15, 12, 10—51

DAWGS (66)-Lance Burchett 24, Nate Adams 17, Nolan Adams 11, Cole Eads 10, Hayden Adams 2, Warner Melton 2.