The Cherokee Chiefs will square off against the David Crockett Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Monday, Cherokee lost to Volunteer on the road by a 60-42 margin. The Chiefs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Cherokee might have lost, but man, Addie Lawson was a machine: she on her way to 29 points and eight boards. That was a full 69% of Cherokee's points, marking the fourth time in a row Lawson has posted more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Brooke Nelson, who had nine points.
Meanwhile, David Crockett had already won 13 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 30.9 points) and they went ahead and made it 14 on Monday. They came out on top against the Vikings by a score of 60-53. Given the Pioneers' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Vikings are ranked 152nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cherokee better keep an eye on Brylee Tullock. She was instrumental in David Crockett's win, dropping a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds. That's the most points Tullock has posted since back in December of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Aaliyah Story, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten boards.
David Crockett smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 17 consecutive games.
David Crockett pushed their record up to 30-3 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. As for Cherokee, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-23.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Cherokee has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 25 rebounds per game. However, it's not like David Crockett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Cherokee might still be hurting after the 53-27 loss they got from David Crockett in their previous meeting back in November of 2021. Can Cherokee avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
