Lady Dragons soar in overtime thriller for third-place finish
It took overtime and extra grit, but the Clinton High School girls basketball team secured a hard-fought third-place finish in District 4-AAA play.
The second-seeded Lady Dragons snapped a three-game losing streak with a 67-60 victory over Union County Monday night in Maynardville.
The win came on the heels of two heartbreaking regular-season losses and a 45-40 setback to crosstown rival Anderson County in Saturday’s district semifinals.
Clinton (13-16) secured an overtime win in a true road game against Union County, the host the 2024-25 District 4-AAA tournament.
In a back-and-forth affair, the Lady Dragons held a 57-55 lead in regulation until Union County sank two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining.
After trailing following the first quarter, Clinton rallied to take a 26-21 lead at halftime.
The Lady Patriots, however, jumped out to a hot start in the second half, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter.
Clinton answered, pulling to within one, at 42-41, by the end of the period.
Junior Josie Moody led the team with 33 points, 11 before halftime, and nine of the Lady Dragons’ 10 overtime points.
Addi Gamble, who fouled out just before the end of regulation, contributed 14 points, while Bailey Burroughs had 10. Elly Leander added six.
In Saturday’s semifinal tilt, the Lady Dragons, who swept the season series against the Lady Mavericks, lost despite 18 points from Moody.
The win was Anderson County’s first victory over Clinton since last year’s district championship game.
