Experience shows late
Clinton erases deficit, survives 63-62 in rivalry showdown
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Clinton High School senior guard Bryson Maddox is closely guarded by Anderson County freshman standout Colton Lawson during the Dragons’ rivalry game against the Mavericks on Friday, Feb. 6. The Dragons edged the Mavericks, 63-62, to claim the District 4-AAA regular-season championship. - Tony Cox
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Anderson County’s Landry Sharp is guarded by Clinton’s Ben Tackett during Friday night’s rivalry matchup at Anderson County High School. - Tony Cox
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Clinton’s Ben Tackett shoots a layup during the Dragons’ road game at Anderson County High School on Friday night. The rivalry matchup drew a packed house, similar to the crowd that turned out when the Mavericks visited the Donnie Dome at Clinton High School in December. - Tony Cox
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Clinton senior Zayden Ford shoots a layup during the Dragons Feb. 4 home game against Gibbls. The Dragons won the evening 65-28. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School’s boys basketball team did not have its sharpest performance Friday night, but the Dragons found a way to finish the job.
Clinton rallied late to edge crosstown rival Anderson County, 63-62, in its District 4-AAA finale on the road, closing out a perfect regular-season league slate. The Dragons (23-7 overall, 8-0 district) trailed for much of the night and fell behind by as many as nine points before tightening up defensively down the stretch.
“I just don’t think we were very good for three quarters,” Clinton coach Chris Lockard said. “We struggled offensively, and defensively we really didn’t play all that well.
“We had possessions where guys took plays off, and Anderson County is a good team that did some really good things. We just weren’t responding.”
Clinton’s response finally came after halftime. The Dragons forced Anderson County (11-12, 6-2) into 13 second-half turnovers, including nine in the third quarter, swinging momentum in a tightly contested rivalry game played before a spirited crowd.
“We got better on defense in the third and fourth quarters,” Lockard said. “They had 13 turnovers in the second half, and we had eight steals in the second and third quarters.
“Then Bryson Maddox, Jaxson Alcorn and Ben Tackett started scoring.”
Maddox poured in a game-high 25 points, Alcorn added 14 and Tackett chipped in nine.
The teams were tied 27-27 at halftime before Anderson County used a 20-15 run in the third quarter to grab a 47-42 lead heading into the final period. Clinton, however, leaned on its experience in the closing minutes, a difference Mavericks coach Jordan Jeffers said showed late.
“We have a young team, and tonight it really showed for the first time,” Jeffers said. “Clinton is an older team. They’re more experienced and more tested than we are.”
Jaxon Price and Justin Bunch scored 14 points apiece for Anderson County, while Cam Lawson finished with 10 and Landry Sharp added nine.
The Mavericks had little time to dwell on the narrow loss. Anderson County traveled to Maynardville on Saturday for a makeup game at Union County and rebounded with an 80-53 win over the Patriots.
After leading 32-25 at halftime, the Mavericks pulled away in the second half. Colton Lawson scored 20 points, while Cam Lawson added 18. The brothers combined to make seven 3-pointers. Bunch and Rocky Brown scored seven points each.
“Sometimes it’s good to have to come back and play,” Jeffers said. “It’s good not to sit and worry about a loss for a whole weekend.”
Clinton opened the week with a 65-28 district victory over Gibbs on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the Don W. Lockard Gymnasium. Maddox scored 20 points as the Dragons led 38-14 at halftime after holding the Eagles to just three points in the second quarter.
Clinton returns to action Thursday night on the road against Powell at Jeff Hunter Gymnasium.
Keys to the game
Clinton forced 13 second-half turnovers — including nine in the third quarter — to swing momentum after trailing by nine.
Veteran poise proved decisive as the Dragons’ experienced roster closed out the final minutes against a young Anderson County squad.
Bryson Maddox’s game-high 25 points, along with key scoring from Jaxson Alcorn and Ben Tackett, powered Clinton’s late rally.
