Cavs sock it to WHS
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

ICARD — After scoring 53 points in one half in a win over A.C. Reynolds, Watauga boys’ basketball coach Rob Sanders could only helplessly watch his Pioneers score just seven in the second quarter Tuesday at East Burke.

And though the drought didn’t necessarily bury the Pioneers, it did not help them in their 74-67 loss to East Burke. The Pioneers (7-9, 2-3 Northwestern 4-A Conference) had built a 21-17 lead in the first quarter, but were outscored in the other three quarters.

Watauga also struggled with East Burke’s Cody Shuffler, who scored 22 points. Shuffler hit 9-of-10 of his foul shots, including 6-of-6 in the fourth quarter.

Then again, Shuffler was not the only Cavalier to hit his foul shots in the fourth. East Burke converted 19-of-20 free throws in the fourth quarter, including 9-of-10 in the final 1:01 of the game.

Sanders said it was difficult to find an East Burke player to foul, since so many of them are good free throw shooters.

“You never want to get down on the sideline. You always want to stay positive,” Sanders said. “But I had that gut feeling that we don’t want to get into a situation and put them on the line, because even the guys who you go down on the list to pick and foul, they’re still going to go up there and knock both of them down.”

It allowed the Cavaliers to maintain a lead on a Watauga team that also found some success from the line late in the game. The Pioneers hit 10-of-10 from the line in the final 2:15, but could not gain any ground on the sure-shooting Cavaliers. The teams were tied at 52-52, but East Burke went on a 8-0 run to take a 60-52 lead that the Pioneers could not make up.

“This game was back and forth,” Sanders said. “You’re tied, you’re up two, you’re down two, and then all of a sudden it’s 52-52 and we have three straight turnovers and they turn them into points on the other end. They take a six-point lead and we never get closer.”

Zach Greene followed his 23-point night in an 85-83 win at A.C. Reynolds last Friday with a 21-point effort against East Burke. Chad Eppley scored 14 points and David Isaacs added 12.

Pat Smith, who hit 6-of-6 foul shots in the fourth quarter, finished with 14 points. Dorian Pearson chipped in 12.

Watauga claimed an early 21-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, but hit just 3-of-11 from the field in the second quarter. East Burke also struggled offensively in the second by failing to score on eight straight possessions, but regrouped and scored the final seven points of the quarter to take a 29-28 halftime lead.

Watauga came out of the halftime break by going on a 9-2 run to claim a 37-31 lead, but the Cavaliers struck back and claimed a 46-44 lead going into the fourth quarter.

East Burke 74, Watauga 67
Watauga (7-9, 2-3)
Watson 1 4-4 6, Greene 7 4-4 21, Moyer 1 0-0 2, Isaacs 4 2-3 12, Newell 4 0-2 8, Eppley 5 3-4 14, Herndon 1 0-2 2, Dale 1 0-0 2, Chiarolanzio 0 0-0 0, Fancher 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 13-19 67.
East Burke
Rhoney 4 0-0 9, Smith 4 6-6 14, Hildebran 1 2-2 4, Frogge 1 2-4 5, Pearson 4 4-6 12, Crawdord 1 0-0 3, Boughman 2 0-0 4, Shuffler 6 9-10 22. Totals 23 23-28 74.
Watauga 21 7 16 23 — 67
East Burke 17 12 17 28 — 74
3-point goals—Watauga 6 (Greene 3, Isaacs 2, Eppley), East Burke 5 (Rhoney, Hildebran, Frogge, Crawford, Shuffler). Turnovers—Watauga 16, East Burke 16. Total fouls—Watauga 19, East Burke 16. Fouled out—Pearson. Technical fouls—None.