The Elizabethton boys basketball team remained perfect in district play on Tuesday night.
The Cyclones took a statement 52-31 victory at Unicoi County in Three Rivers action, while the Lady Cyclones dropped a tough 61-57 decision to the Lady Blue Devils.
In the boys’ game, points were hard to come by in the opening minutes.
Bryson Rollins scored four points in the first quarter to push EHS to a 7-4 advantage at the end of the first half. Evan Perkins and Parker Hughes scored five points apiece in the second quarter as Elizabethton outscored UC 18-10 in the quarter to take a 25-14 advantage into the half.
The third quarter saw Nico Ashley take over for the Cyclones.
Ashley scored 10 points in the third stanza as Elizabethton pushed their lead to 18 points heading to the final quarter. Any thought of a rally was erased in the final eight minutes as Elizabethton secured the win by limiting the Blue Devils to just six points.
Ashley had 16 points to lead the Cyclones, while Hughes and Perkins had eight points each. Rollins finished with six points.
In the girls’ game, it was a tight battle from the start.
Elizabethton saw Abby Townsend and Kelsie Winters scored four points each in the opening stanza, and the Lady Cyclones took an 18-17 advantage after eight minutes of play. The teams played nearly even in the second quarter as the game was tied at 28-28 at the break.
Morgan Headrick sparked the Lady Cyclone offense in the third quarter, but Unicoi answered to take a slim one-point advantage into the final quarter. After battle throughout the fourth quarter, Elizabethton was unable to sneak back ahead in the closing stages.
Headrick led the way with 18 points, while Winters tallied 11 points. Kaylen Shell scored 10 points. Torrie Roberts and Townsend had seven points each.
