Mavericks rally late in gritty semifinal clash

February 26, 2025 by Ken Lay

Anderson County High School’s boys basketball team staged a dramatic comeback in Saturday’s District 4-AAA tournament semifinals at Union County High School in Maynardville, edging Gibbs 54-50.

Coach Jordan Jeffers said his team wasn’t playing for style.

“It’s a good thing this wasn’t a beauty contest,” he said after the second-seeded Mavericks trailed by double digits for much of the first half against the No. 3 Eagles.

“If it was, we would’ve lost,” he said. “But that’s what it’s about this time of the year. It ain’t about being pretty or even about being efficient. It doesn’t even have to make sense. It’s all about winning.”

After a sluggish start that saw Anderson County down 23-12 after the first quarter and 34-24 at halftime, the Mavericks battled back to secure the win, and with it, a shot at a third-consecutive District 4-AAA championship as well as a first-round home game in the Region 2-AAA tournament.

“We played about as poorly in the first half as we have in a long time,” Jeffers said.

Gibbs’ Zack Turner, a two-time District 4-AAA Player of the Year, lit up the early game with 20 of his team’s 34 first-half points. Jeffers noted that his squad had enjoyed some time off while Gibbs fought through a quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Cumberland Gap.

“We had eight days off and they played last, and that worried me, too,” he said.

“Sometimes there’s an advantage to playing, but I also thought if we could keep it reachable, stay within reach, we could get in their legs. I think we just competed harder, played harder in the second half.”

Anderson County’s defense tightened in the second half, holding Turner to just two points.

Brandon Dake and Hayden Craig led the charge with 13 points each, while Ethan Nelson and Cam Lawson added 12 apiece.

The Mavericks were set to face crosstown rival Clinton Tuesday in their third-consecutive district-championship matchup. Anderson County, the two-time defending district tournament champion, looked to keep its winning streak alive.

No results were available at press time.