Kendall Toineeta shoots a short shot over several Hiwassee Dam players to score her 2,000th career point during a home game on Saturday, Feb. 7. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
The Cherokee Lady Braves (19-3) dropped a non-conference game to Hiwassee Dam 61-44 at home on Saturday, Feb. 7. Kendall Toineeta, Lady Braves senior point guard, scored her 2,000th career point in the second period of this game.
“They’re really, really good, and we just struggled putting the ball in the basket,” said Lady Braves head coach Chris Mintz. “We had another injury. We’re getting really thin. Our kids fought hard, and they played hard. I can’t fault them for their effort. We just have to make a few more plays.”
The long-awaited game, which was rescheduled several times during the season, started out very close with both teams exchanging baskets early. Three minutes into the first period, the game was tied at 5-5. At the 3:35 mark, the game was still tied (9-9). With just a little more than a minute left in the first period, Hiwassee Dam scored a couple of baskets in a row and led 17-12 after the first eight minutes.
The Lady Eagles extended their lead to 24-14 at the 5:55 mark in the second and then to 30-19 several minutes later.
Hiwassee Dam led at halftime 36-21, and then extended their lead in the third period to 44-28 at the 4:20 mark. They would take a 49-29 lead into the final eight.
Cherokee kept the pressure up and kept working, but shots would not fall. Hiwassee Dam led 59-42 with just over three minutes left and would go on to take the 61-44 win.
Individual scoring statistics were not available for this game.
