Friday Around UC Sport Nation: Livingston Sweeps Upperman; Lady Cavs Top Lebanon

Livingston Academy and Upperman got together on the basketball court for the first time this season on Friday night, and, as expected, both games were tough, physical and went down to the wire.

The Lady Wildcats rallied from seven points down early in the game, and battled their way to a 43-38 victory over the Lady Bees in a battle of top-five ranked teams in the State. Nine of the ten Lady Wildcats who played each scored, led by Keaton Webb with nine points and Ellie Butler with eight. Livingston (16-2, 4-0 District) went 12-of-16 from the free throw line in the final period to secure the win. Brooklyn Crouch went five of six from three-point range and scored 22 points to lead Upperman (15-3, 2-2), while Abigail Johnson added 12.

Livingston entered the game as the third-ranked team in the State in Class 3A, while Upperman came in #4.

In the nightcap, Upperman held a 47-41 lead midway through the fourth period, but Livingston Academy scored 11 unanswered points to close out the game, and claimed a 52-47 win. Hayden Ledbetter led the Widcats (9-8, 3-1) with 18 points, while Nick Choate added 11. Rex Davis paced the Bees (6-8, 1-3) with 15 points, followed by A.J. Nash with 14.

Livingston Academy and Upperman will meet again in the regular season on February 8 in Baxter.

Meanwhile, Cassie Gallagher scored 19 points as the Cookeville Cavaliers knocked off Lebanon, 64-58, in a battle of Top 10 teams in Class 4A. K.K. Graves added 13, while Jordan Gillies tallied 12, as the Lady Cavs (19-0, 2-0) remained unbeaten and took sole possession of first place in District 9-4A.

In the boys’ game, Josh Heard scored 26 points and D.J. Potts Heard added 20, but the Cavaliers (10-10, 0-2) fell short to Lebanon in a shootout, 83-81. Dontae Potts Heard came close to a double-double with 16 points and nine assists.

Here’s the full Friday night scoreboard from UC Sports Nation:

Girls
#5 Clay Co. 72
Gordonsville 47
(District 7-1A)
(CCHS: Abby Head 19, Halle Buford 16)

#2 Cookeville 64
#8 Lebanon 58
(District 9-4A)
(CHS: Cassie Gallagher 19, KK Graves 13, Jordan Gillies 12)

Cumberland Co. 59
DeKalb Co. 36
(District 7-3A)
(CCHS: Emery Baragona reaches 1,000 pts; DCHS: Ella VanVranken 19)

#9 York Institute 56
Jackson Co. 30
(District 5-2A)
(YAI: Gabby Beaty 15)

#3 Livingston Academy 43
#4 Upperman 38
(District 7-3A)
(LA: 9 players scored, Keaton Webb 9; UHS: Brooklyn Crouch 22)

Sequatchie Co. 56
Monterey 39
(District 5-2A)
(MHS: Lindsey Wright 18)

#4 Pickett Co. 50
#6 Red Boiling Springs 27
(District 7-1A)
(PCHS: Ella Kate Keisling 14, Allie Amonett 11)

#9 Coffee Co. 54
#10 Warren Co. 40
(District 6-4A)
(WCHS: 12-game Win Streak Snapped)

#6 White Co. 76
Macon Co. 35
(District 7-3A)

Boys
#5 Clay Co. 62
Gordonsville 54
(District (7-1A)
(CCHS: Grant Strong 37)

#6 Lebanon 83
Cookeville 81
(District 9-4A)
(CHS: Josh Heard 26, DJ Potts Heard 20)

Cumberland Co. 76
DeKalb Co. 70
(District 7-3A)
(CCHS: Kole Torres 29, Jackson Inman 28; DCHS: Connor Close 19)

York Institute 62
#3 Jackson Co. 55
(District 5-2A)
(YAI: Nic Smith 17)

Livingston Academy 52
Upperman 47
(District 7-3A)
(LA: Hayden Ledbetter 18, Nic Choate 11; UHS: Rex Davis 15, AJ Nash 14)

Sequatchie Co. 51
Monterey 49
(District 5-2A)
(MHS: Silas Randolph 20)

#1 Pickett Co. 62
Red Boiling Springs 42
(District 7-1A)
(PC: Zach Amonett 21)

Van Buren Co. 55
Bledsoe Co. 52
(District 6-1A)

Coffee Co. 50
Warren Co. 28
(District 6-4A)

White Co. 74
Macon Co. 25
(District 7-3A)