Swann, Gilley help Pioneers tame Lions
WOODBURY — The Pioneer basketball team turned up the heat in the fourth quarter Thursday night, on the way to an eight-point victory over Cannon County in a Hall of Fame Classic contest.
Warren County’s boys, who improved to 2-0 with the win, shut out their hosts for the first six minutes of Thursday’s fourth quarter, and limited the Lions to just two field goals in the period as they secured a 47-39 victory.
Warren Swann was the man of the hour for the Pioneers’ as he paced the team’s victory with 13 points, scoring from both the inside and the perimeter while notching several key rebounds and steals.
Todd Gilley chipped in a 10-point night, while Josh Nunley worked his way inside for eight points. Andrew Deason had five, Brandon Adcock and Brooks Majors netted four each, and Andy Harrell rounded out the winning effort with one point.
The first three quarters of Thursday’s contest were hotly contested, as neither team led by more than two possessions before the game’s final period.
Giving up a pair of free throws on a technical foul to start the game, the Pioneers took their first lead at the 5:03 mark, when Swann hit a 3-pointer. CCHS kept things close, and Chris Mullen had five points in the first as the Lions trailed just 16-15 by the period’s end.
Cannon County took a brief lead in the second, but a three-point play from Andrew Deason brought the Pioneers within a point, and Swann tied the score at 26-26 with another 3-pointer.
Warren County carried a 28-26 lead into halftime, and went up by five after a six-point run midway through the third. Cannon crept back within one on a Tyler Reed trey, but Nunley scored with 1:30 to play in the period, sending WCHS into the fourth with a 36-38 lead.
The fourth quarter saw WCHS dominate the boards on both ends of the court, scoring eight straight points to open the period while keeping the Lions from any second-chance baskets. Reed hit a pair of 3-pointers for Cannon in the fourth, but they accounted for the Lions’ only points of the period as WCHS held on for the victory.
Reed led CCHS with 18, including four second-half 3-pointers. Justin Asbury was held to a free throw in the second half, but finished with seven points.
The Pioneers travel to DeKalb County Tuesday, and play host to the Dr Pepper Thanksgiving Classic this Friday and Saturday.