Lee’s 21 points leads Dragons to victory over Union County
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Brandon Dake has been a key to the Mavericks offense all season long. Dake, a junior, set the school’s single game scoring record and three-point shot record earli- er in the 2023-24 season. - Tony Cox
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CHS Senior Jeremiah Lee - Tony Cox
For the fifth consecutive year, the Clinton High School boys basketball team will host a region tournament game. The Dragons earned that right by winning in the District 4-AAA Tournament semifinals late last week.
Clinton, the district tournament’s No. 2 seed, defeated Union County, 67-52, Friday night at Scott High School in Huntsville, but longtime CHS head coach Chris Lockard said the game against the third-seeded Patriots was closer than the final score indicated.
“Union County is really a tough guard. They’re good and they have good shooters,” Lockard said. “It was really a one possession game until with about three or four minutes to go.
“We made some shots and they didn’t. Our kids played really well. They defended well and they rebounded well.”
The game was close throughout as the Dragons (11-14) led, 19-16, at the end of the first quarter and had a 33-30 advantage at halftime. Clinton led, 49-46, heading into the final frame before pulling away.
“When we made those shots, we were finally able to create some distance,” Lockard said after the Dragons outscored the Patriots, 18-6, over the final eight minutes of the contest.
Jeremiah was Clinton’s top scorer against Union County as he had 21 points. He also recorded three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. His backcourt mate, Teegan Bolinger, finished with 13 points and four assists. Bryson Maddox was a solid presence inside for the Dragons as he scored 12 points and pulled down five rebounds.
Over the last five seasons, Clinton has appeared in five district tournament title tilts. It played for its fifth straight league tournament championship game Tuesday when it tangled with crosstown rival and top-seeded Anderson County (which entered the game with a 20-9 overall record).
The Mavericks and the Dragons split their regular-season series with each team winning on the road.
Both ACHS and Clinton will have home games Saturday, but the winner of Tuesday night’s district title game sealed the right to host the Region 2-AAA Tournament.
“The home court advantage in the region is huge. It’s important,” Lockard said. “Having home court in the semifinals and the finals is big.”