Sullivan East sweeps Abingdon on senior night

BY JOHNNY WILSON
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – Many ingredients are needed to produce a basketball team which wins 21 of 25 games. Sullivan East certainly has the right mix this year, as a good Abingdon squad can attest.

The Patriots celebrated Senior Night by playing well on both ends of the floor Saturday, claiming a 78-57 victory over the Falcons.

The magnitude of the interstate win was not lost on East coach John Dyer.

“I think we played hard as heck on a great senior night ... a great senior night,” the veteran leader said. “All the seniors stepped up and played a super basketball game.
“I’m just so, so proud of the effort we gave and the defense we played. We are just very excited to beat a very good team like Abingdon has with the kind of game we put together tonight.”

East put it all together to post its second 20-point win over Abingdon (13-6) this winter.

The Patriots forced a frenzied tempo all evening with outstanding defensive pressure, using various looks along with quick feet and hands to create havoc with the Abingdon offense.

East employed a diamond-and-one press to gain quick control of the game, forcing 15 first-half turnovers on its way to a 40-26 lead at intermission.

“Our defense gets us going on the offensive end,” said Patriot floor leader Jordan Cross, a 6-foot-2 junior who scored 17 points. “Getting steals and deflections leads to a lot of fastbreak points for us.”

When the Patriots weren’t cashing in quickly after creating turnovers, they were playing well in their half-court offense, especially when Cross would penetrate and draw defenders to set up open teammates on the perimeter.

East hit a dozen 3-pointers for the game, six of them by Chase DePew, a senior guard who led the winners with 18 points on six-of-nine shooting from beyond the arc.

Trey Gilreath made three 3-pointers for East, while fellow seniors Jeremy James and Zane Campbell combined for 19 points on the interior.

“When Jordan Cross penetrates, the other team has to close down on him,” said DePew. “You can’t just let him go, and when they pick him up it leaves open looks on the outside for me and Trey and open looks on the inside for Zane and Jeremy.”

Abingdon coach B.J. Lasley said playing good defense is vital when opposing the Patriots.

“They make you pay for your mistakes on the defensive end of the floor,” Lasley said. “That’s what makes them such a good basketball team.”

Abingdon, which was led by the 11 points of Alex Looney, trailed by as many as 26 in the second half.

Randall Carter and Joey Blevins each added 10 points for the Falcons.

ABINGDON (57) – Carter 4 2-2 10, N.Hess 3 0-0 6, Looney 5 1-1 11, Coleman 2 3-3 7, J.Hess 3 0-0 6, Stallard 0 0-0 0, Steele 1 1-4 3, Browning 1 0-0 2, Barker 1 0-0 2, Blevins 4 2-4 10. Totals 24 9-14 57.
SULLIVAN EAST (78) – Greer 2 0-0 4, DePew 6 0-1 18, Gilreath 3 2-2 11, Campbell 3 3-3 9, James 5 0-0 10, Dishner 0 0-0 0, D.Casaday 1 0-0 3, B.Casaday 0 0-0 0, Cross 7 2-2 17, Jordan 0 0-0 0, Proffitt 0 0-0 0, Davis 2 1-2 6, Ollis 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 8-10 78.
Abingdon 13 13 13 18–57
Sullivan East 22 18 22 16–78
3-point goals – Abingdon 0, East 12 (DePew 6, Gilreath 3, James, D.Casaday, Cross). Total fouls – Abingdon 10, East 16. Fouled out – Campbell. JV game – East won.

GIRLS

East 76, Abingdon 63
Callie McGrew had a Senior Night to remember, hitting six 3-pointers to lead the Lady Patriots to a tough win over Abingdon.

McGrew collected 26 points to share game-high scoring honors with Abingdon’s Lauren Wilson, as East (11-12) inched closer to the .500 mark with its ninth win in its last 14 games.

Taylor Roberts, who hit three of East’s 10 3-pointers on the night, and Angel Trent each scored 13 points to back McGrew.

Abingdon stayed close all evening behind the play of Wilson and Logan Viers, who scored 15 points, but the Falcons did not have enough to gain their fourth win of the year.
East led 37-34 at halftime and 56-49 after three periods.

ABINGDON (63) – S.Viers 6, Lo.Viers 15, Ly.Viers 6, Wilson 26, Totonchain 2, J.Viers 0, Pruitt 0, Mullins 2, Bays 2, Proulex 4.
SULLIVAN EAST (76) – McGrew 26, Trent 13, Bawgus 7, Moyher 0, Roberts 13, El.Dishner 4, Holtsclaw 0, Cross 0, Smith 0, Austin 0, Em.Dishner 0, Sexton 9, Summers 4.
Abingdon 17 17 15 14–63
Sullivan East 16 21 19 20–76
3-point goals – Abingdon 3 (Wilson), East 10 (McGrew 6, Roberts 3, Trent). JV game – Abingdon won.