Basketball Recap: Grainger Victorious

Grainger posted their closest win since December 30, 2024 on Thursday. In a tight game that could have gone either way, they made off with a 48-47 victory over the Cherokee Chiefs. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 55-42 back in January.

Brookelyn Roach

Steals

02/05/26 vs Cherokee	7
01/30/26 vs Cumberland Gap	4
01/22/26 vs Volunteer	6
01/20/26 @ Cherokee	4
01/16/26 vs Greeneville	5
+ 11 more games

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Grainger to victory, but perhaps none more so than Brookelyn Roach, who posted eight points in addition to 13 boards and seven steals. Roach has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 16 times she's played. Adison Hayes was another key player, putting up 13 points.

Grainger was working as a unit and finished the game with ten assists. They are 14-4 when they've passed the ball that well.

Despite the loss, Cherokee saw an underclassman step up: freshman Rylee Sivert dropped a double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds. That was a full 42.6% of the Chiefs' points, marking the third time in a row Sivert has had more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Kenady Deal, who put up 13 points and three steals.

Grainger is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season. As for Cherokee, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 16-7.

Grainger wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 62-46 defeat against Greeneville on the 6th. As for Cherokee, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 77-36 win against Volunteer on the 6th.