It had been a while since the Hunter Middle School boy’s basketball team had been tested, but with the Bucs season on the line in the quarterfinals of the Middle School tournament, Knox Doss gave them one of their biggest scares of the season before they were able to go on to the 46-40 victory.

“We’ve had some close games this season, and even lost one to Station Camp that wasn’t really close, so we’ve been in pressure situations before and I think that helped tonight,” said Hunter Coach Ben Bruce. “I don’t think it was anything we did wrong tonight, Knox Doss has just improved probably more than any team we’ve played this season.

“I’m proud of the way we handled things tonight, but it was two seventh graders (Nash Young and Eli Duncan) that really made the difference and picked up the slack when we needed it most.”

Knox Doss Coach Brent Cothron said he told his team all season this was the time he wanted them to be peaking.

“Our guys had no experience coming into this season, so I knew it was going to take some time,” said Cothron. “I think we did just that, and I couldn’t have asked more from our guys than what they gave me tonight; they had the heart of a lion, and they played their hearts out.

“We didn’t shoot as well as we could have, especially at the free throw line, but that’s been a weakness for us all season.”

Cothron summed things up pretty well because the Mustangs were only 5-of-13 from the charity stripe, and the Bucs were 10-of-14, proving to be the difference in the game.

“When you come down to a game like this when things are so close it’s the little things that count,” said Cothron. “We told our guys before we went out that we needed to make the most of those opportunities, but again, I really believe they gave us everything they had tonight.”

Knox Doss (5-11) had it all going their way early led by Payton Anderton’s four first-quarter points, but Sawyer Taylor kept the Bucs in the game with four points of his own as the two teams finished the first period tied 9-9.

Hunter (14-1) needed all the help it could get in the second quarter and Young answered the call, scoring seven points for the Bucs, but Damon Morrow helped the Mustangs keep pace with six points as both teams again ended the quarter tied 12-12 to go into the halftime break all even at 21-21.

“I think it was big for us to finish the half at least tied since both our big guys (Ryan Hatten and Mason Hickman) were out because of foul trouble,” said Bruce. “That could’ve been bad for us, but we had some guys really step up, so this was truly a team win tonight.”

Things started to unravel for Knox Doss in the third quarter as Duncan and Hatten combined for nine points to outscore the Mustangs 13-8 to take a 34-29 advantage into the final quarter.

In the fourth period it came down to made free throws for Hunter, and missed opportunities for Knox Doss.

Kody Timmons led the way for the Bucs with six points and Duncan came through again with four more points, and Anderton answered with six points of his own for the Mustangs, and Jamaal Thompson added five more, but it was the five free throws down the stretch that gave Hunter the 46-40 win.

“The free throws were big for us tonight,” said Bruce. “Our guys made the most of our opportunities and when it came down to it we were pretty good from the line.

“I hope our guys take something positive from tonight, but I think playing a tight game like this tonight will help us in the long run.”

The semifinals will be played Thursday night at Knox Doss.

KNOX DOSS (40) – Payton Anderton 14, Damon Morrow 8, Jamaal Thompson 8, Peyton Anderson 3, Bailey Grissom 3, Tanner Carter 2, Jackson Vetetoe 2.

HUNTER (46) – Nash Young 11, Eli Duncan 10, Dylan Gilmer 7, Ryan Hatten 6, Kody Timmons 6, Sawyer Taylor 4, Mason Hickman 2.

Three-pointers: KD (3) – Thompson 2, Grissom 1. HMS (4) – Young 1, Duncan 1, Gilmer 1, Timmons 1.

by Chris Lynn