Thursday Around UC Sports Nation: Livingston Academy Lady Wildcats Edged in Carolina Championship

Freshman Ellie Butler shot 13 of 22 from the floor and scored 33 points, but her career-best performance wasn’t quite enough to lead the Livingston Academy Lady Wildcats to the Championship of the Carolina Invitational in Charleston, SC, on Thursday. Livingston dropped a 69-67 heartbreaker to a tough team from Cannon, NC, to finish as tournament runners-up. The snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Lady Wildcats (13-2), who finished 2-1 at the event after wins over New Hope, AL, and Summerville, SC.

Meanwhile, the Stone Memorial Panthers also came up short in their quest to claim the Renasant Bank Classic Championship in Maryville on Thursday, as they lost to Fulton, 70-54. Cade Capps dropped 21 points, and Dylan Whittenburg added 12. The Panthers (7-7) earned wins over Sequoyah and host, Maryville, before Thursday’s loss to the Falcons (10-3).

The Upperman Lady Bees will play for third place in the Andrew Johnson Bank Classic in Greeneville on Friday, after losing a close semifinal to the host Lady Devils (14-1), 44-42. Brooklyn Crouch led Upperman with 16 points and six assists. The Lady Bees (12-2) will play Ryle, KY, in the consolation game on Friday.

The Cumberland County Jets opened play with a 69-63 win over a talented Woodward, OH team, Thursday, at the Tampa Bay Invitational. The Jets (4-8) play Farragut in the tournament semifinals on Friday. Jackson Inman, Kole Torres, Carson Conaster and Reese Crockett all scored in double figures in the win.

Thursday’s action involving Upper Cumberland teams also saw a thrilling finish at the AFLAC Shootout in Watertown. Brody Coffee hit a shot at the buzzer, and the Livingston Academy Wildcats edged Eagleville, 55-53, in their tournament finale. Livingston (7-7) got 24 points from Hayden Ledbetter, as they finished 2-1 at the three-day event.

Here’s Thursday’s scoreboard and a look at scheduled tournament games for Friday and Saturday (all times listed are CST:

Girls
Clay Co. 58
Richland 54
(Richland Christmas Classic – Consolation)

Pearl Cohn 63
DeKalb Co. 55
(AFLAC Shootout – Watertown)

Cannon, NC 69
Livingston Academy 67
(Carolina Invitational – Championship)

Greeneville 44
Upperman 42
(Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic – Semifinals)

White Co. 68
Prestonwood Christian, TX 32
(Cactus Jam – Consolation)

Boys
Cumberland Co. 69
Woodward, OH 63
(Tampa Bay Invitational)

Moore Co. 47
DeKalb Co. 43
(AFLAC Shootout – Watertown)

Livingston Academy 55
Eagleville 53
(AFLAC Shootout – Watertown)

Fulton 70
Stone Memorial 54
(Renasant Bank Classic Championship – Maryville)

Elizabethtown, KY 71
York Institute 58
(South Central Bank Halston Classic – Scottsboro, KY)

Friday, December 31
Girls
Cookeville vs. Union, OK (Tampa Bay Invitational – Semifinals) 11 a.m.
Cumberland Co. vs. Booker, FL (Tampa Bay Invitational – Semifinals) 11 a.m.
Upperman vs. Ryle, KY (Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic – Consolation) 2:30 p.m.
Warren Co. vs./Newsome, FL (Tampa Bay Invitational) 6:30 p.m.

Boys
Cumberland Co. vs. Farragut (Tampa Bay Invitational – Semifinals) 5 p.m.

Saturday, January 1
Girls
Cookeville vs. Western, FL/Colonial, FL (Tampa Bay Invitational – Championship/Consolation) 2 p.m./12:30 p.m.
Cumberland Co. vs. Durant, FL/Providence Christian (Tampa Bay Invitational – Championship/Consolation) 2 p.m./12:30 p.m.
Warren Co. vs. Reavis, IL/Braden River, FL (Tampa Bay Invitational – Championship/Consolation) 12:30 p.m./11:00 a.m.

Boys
Cumberland Co. vs. Saddle River Day School, NJ/Atlantic Shores Christian, VA (Tampa Bay Invitational – Championship/Consolation) 6:30 p.m./3:30 p.m.