Pioneers win CTC tourney – 3rd time?s the charm vs. Sparta
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The Pioneers defeated White County 30-27 to claim the tournament title in the Central Tennessee Conference tournament held in the WCMS gym.
Taking a 25-18 lead into the final period Warren County tried to slow the tempo of the game and run time off the clock. White County pulled within three points with 1:54 left in the game when Josh Turner connected for a 3-pointer. But a big turnover by the Warriors and Tylan Martin hitting the back end of two from the charity stripe provided the Pioneers with the extra advantage they needed to pick up the victory.
Both teams worked out of a man-to-man defense as White County opened the game with a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers hit for five straight points in the final minute of the first period, including a steal by Michael Thrower who hit Caleb Underhill for the basket with :31 left on the clock for a 5-2 advantage.
The Pioneers? Jaylen Mount got things going in the second period under the basket with an easy bucket. Martin and Thrower hit back-to-back 3-pointers mid-way through the period. The Warriors ran off nine unanswered points with baskets from Daniel Duke, Dustin Baker and a 3-pointer from Josh Turner to close in on the Pioneer lead at the half 13-11.
The second half certainly had all the atmosphere of a championship game. The Pioneers? defense held the Warriors to seven points in the period as Turner connected on a 3-pointer. The Pioneers had baskets from Mount, Underhill and Martin and in the final two minutes of the period ran off six unanswered points. Mitchell McCorkle drove the paint for two easy buckets and Underhill closed out the period with a jumper from the paint as Warren County held a 25-18 advantage.
White County had a hard time holding on to the ball in the final period. The two teams combined for four points during the first two minutes of play.
Underhill, McCorkle, Mount and Martin had six points each. Thrower hit for four and Tyler Glenn added two points for the Pioneers.
Turner had nine for the Warriors. Robbie Johnson, Baker and Conner Sparkman had four points each. Jordan Anderson, David Sorrell and Daniel Duke had two points each.