The one-two punch of Tennessee's Tyler Smith and Courtney Pigram was enough for the HT Group to knock Toyota of Knoxville out of the top spot of the Pilot Rocky Top League on Monday night.
HT Group stands alone as the only undefeated team after rallying from a 12-point second-half deficit in its 102-99 win before 2,500 fans at Bearden High School.
"I notice Tyler really trusts Courtney, and if you get too busy worrying about him, Courtney will keep moving and Tyler will find a way to get it to him,'' said Toyota's Dane Bradshaw, the former Tennessee player and an ex-teammate of Pigram's at White Station High School in Memphis.
"They are a team that can shoot themselves out of a game or into a game. Early on they were missing, but it was just a matter of time.''
Smith scored 29 points on 13-of-25 shooting to lead all scorers and East Tennessee State's Pigram scored 21 for HT Group (3-0).
UT's Wayne Chism led Toyota of Knoxville (2-1) with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting (5-of-6 from the free throw line). When Chism wasn't dominating above the rim, he was scrapping in the paint, hitting the floor numerous times.
But incoming UT freshman point guard Daniel West had the final say in the game, hitting a free throw with 14.6 seconds left to give HT Group a three-point cushion.
First Win: The News Sentinel won its first game 106-96 over Richardson Construction.
Damon Johnson led the News Sentinel (1-2) with 34 points. Carson-Newman's Cameron Sharp had 21.
Notebook: UT sophomore post Brian Williams and incoming freshman post Phillip Jurick returned to play Monday night. Williams played despite pulling a chest muscle lifting weights last week. Jurick returned from a foot injury.
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Comments » 17
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
Yet another basketball article!!!! In June!!!!!!
ncvol writes:
Congrats Tyler on the win. I enjoy hearing about the games because I can't get to Knoxville to see them. Go Vols!
IBleedOrange444 writes:
Sounds like Chism is giving it his all again. Love to see him going 5-6 from the line.
ZR writes:
Imagine that a freshman point man can hit a free throw to win the game.
Griff should be the test writer for Freshmen learning Philmer's (needs to be throw under) abridge playbook. This sentence is as long as a Gator winning streak.
"I notice Tyler really trusts Courtney, and if you get too busy worrying about him, Courtney will keep moving and Tyler will find a way to get it to him,'' said Toyota's Dane Bradshaw, the former Tennessee player and an ex-teammate of Pigram's at White Station High School in Memphis."
DroopyDrawers writes:
WorkinLikeHeck, stuff it! U R a pest.
b_neas writes:
try like hell to get Pigram from ETSU, sounds like Tyler and him have developed a nice chemistry, lol. Should not be hard to lure him from ETSU, that's my alma mater, they have nothing as far as competitive sports anymore.
eduardo writes:
hey wrknlikehk, it's sure better talking about bball than that sorry overrated fbomb coaching staff. What you want to talk about, F$$lmer and his contract ext.? Or the six 0's at the end of his salary? Give us a break!
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
I for one am glad that Foolmore is getting a contract extension. That pretty much eliminates one of the Foolmerons excuses for bad recruiting....this past year it was that we couldn't get any recruits because Foolmore was "only" signed through 2013 and they thought he may be gone soon.
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
What is up with CPF and CBP contracts? Anyone know what is happening with them.
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
I thought I read that they should be announced formally before July 4th.
alfrizzle097 writes:
The argument for the poor recruiting was massive turnover on the coaching staff. Note how many signees we already have this year...
UT_LAW_2011 writes:
Tyler Smith is really something special. I can't wait to watch him this year, he's got All-American written all over him.
Volumnus writes:
Tyler Smith is demonstrating basketball maturity! He is a poster child for how to use your assets on the floor. He is passing for the points, not shooting for the glory. Mr. Smith has come of age!
Congratulations to him!
b_neas writes:
gee chill out.....i thought when you put lol after a comment 99% of americans knew you were joking.......and ETSU has not been a hoops school since the days of greg dennis, calvin talford, marty story, and mister jennings, which was what, the late 80's - early 90's.......all ETSU is successful in is mens golf
magentatoes10 writes:
workin...why would you ignore the basketball team?
VOLS85 writes:
no, general, our football team puts people in the NFL, you know you're not capable of such!
On another note, the RTL announcer is absurdly painful to listen to...
rodshaw2#258154 writes:
ETSU hasn't been a basketball school for how long?
Damn I am pretty sure I remember 2 NCAA tournament appearances and an NIT since those guys graduated.
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