Basketball Recap: Dynamic Duo of Lacey Ermer and Payton Rollins Lead South-Doyle to Victory

South-Doyle hadn't beaten Knoxville Central on the road since December 16, 2021 but that history sure didn't bother them on Saturday. The Cherokees came out on top against the Bobcats by a score of 52-40. For the Cherokees, this counts as revenge for the 54-51 win the Bobcats walked away with the last time they faced one another back in December of 2024.

Payton Rollins

Points

11/22/25 vs Knoxville Central	20
11/20/25 vs Scott	24
01/28/25 vs Lenoir City	17
01/21/25 @ Sequoyah	28
01/17/25 @ Seymour	20
+ 13 more games

Leading South-Doyle to victory were Payton Rollins and Lacey Ermer. Rollins shot 47% from the field to rack up 20 points and eight rebounds, while Ermer dropped a double-double with 11 points and 16 boards. Rollins' big performance that afternoon made it 18 games in a row in which she has scored at least 15 points. Sydney Adams was another key player, putting up eight points and six rebounds.

South-Doyle has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 52.5 points this season. As for Knoxville Central, they now have a losing record of 1-2.

South-Doyle didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 49-41 win against Volunteer on the 22nd. As for Knoxville Central, they will square off against Grainger at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.