Basketball Preview: Gatlinburg-Pittman Highlanders vs. Alcoa Tornadoes
Gatlinburg-Pittman has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Alcoa Tornadoes at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Gatlinburg-Pittman knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight matches -- so hopefully the Tornadoes like a good challenge.
Gatlinburg-Pittman scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They really took it to Eagleton College & Career Academy for the full four quarters, racking up a 101-18 victory at home. Gatlinburg-Pittman has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 16 matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Gatlinburg-Pittman to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nya Burns, who scored 23 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Burns has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Maddy Newman, who scored 21 points.
Meanwhile, Alcoa waltzed into their contest on Monday with three straight wins but they left with four. They breezed by Pigeon Forge at home to the tune of 65-35. Alcoa has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 22 points or more this season.
Gatlinburg-Pittman is on a roll lately: they've won 16 of their last 17 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 22-2 record this season. As for Alcoa, they pushed their record up to 8-3 with that win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season.
Gatlinburg-Pittman skirted past the Tornadoes 46-43 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Does Gatlinburg-Pittman have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tornadoes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
