By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
CENTRE – The Sand Rock Wildcat basketball teams scratched and clawed their way past Cherokee County in the Cherokee County Basketball Tournament semifinals on Friday at Richard Lindsey Arena, with both securing championship game berths against top-seeded Spring Garden on Saturday.
The Class 2A, No. 3 Lady Wildcats outlasted Class 4A, No. 10 Cherokee County 46-43, while the sixth-ranked Wildcat boys earned a nail-biting 60-56 victory.
In the girls game, Sand Rock (17-5) led by four down the stretch until the Lady Warriors’ Vivian Connell connected on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining, pulling Cherokee County within a point at 44-43.
The Lady Wildcats’ Macey Pruitt hit a pair of four free-throw attempts in the remaining 10 seconds for the final. Pruitt finished with nine points, including a 4-of-6 performance from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. She also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Maddie Clanton and Molly Grace Lay both scored 11 points for Sand Rock. Clanton also grabbed 10 rebounds. Lay added six steals and also hit 7-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter. Paitlyn Hughes finished with nine points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Nevaeh Gaidurgis, Ellisan Givens and Brooklyn Bruce each finished with 11 points for the Lady Warriors (17-3). Nine of Bruce’s points came on three treys.
The game was close throughout. The two teams were tied at 8 at the end of the first quarter. Sand Rock held a 26-25 edge at halftime. Cherokee County held a 34-31 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
The boys game was just as close.
Sand Rock (15-8) managed to take a 17-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Warriors (8-6) rallied to go ahead 29-27 at halftime, but Sand Rock forged back ahead at 44-42 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats were up 57-53 with less than a minute remaining, but the Warriors didn’t go away quietly. Tatum Perry popped a 3-pointer with less than 50 seconds to go to pull Cherokee County within a point at 57-56.
Sand Rock point guard Ty Traffanstedt sank 3-of-4 free throws in the final 20 seconds to allow the Wildcats to escape with the win.
Traffanstedt led Sand Rock with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds, four assists and a steal. Wyatt Miller managed 13 points, nine boards, six blocks and an assist. Will Cleere and Cam Gifford both came away with eight points. Cleere also captured six rebounds and had a steal and a block. Gifford also grabbed 12 boards and had seven assists and a steal. Elijah Hood finished with six points on a pair of 3-pointers. He also had three rebounds and an assist.
Perry led the Warriors with 15 points. Jayquan Diamond delivered 12 points. Reid Jacoway rang for 11, and Ben Moseley finished with seven points.
Both Sand Rock squads will battle defending county champions Spring Garden at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively in the varsity girls and boys tournament title games.
