Tennessee is 7-0 against Unicoi County since November of 2020 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Tennessee Vikings will host the Unicoi County Blue Devils at 8:00 p.m. Tennessee will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
Tennessee is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Morristown-Hamblen East: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Tennessee blew Morristown-Hamblen East out of the water with an 88-49 final score. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 46-23.
| 01/27/25 @ Morristown-Hamblen East | 2 |
| 01/24/25 @ David Crockett | 6 |
| 01/21/25 vs Elizabethton | 8 |
| 01/17/25 vs Sullivan East | 2 |
| 01/14/25 @ Unicoi County | 4 |
| 01/07/25 @ West Ridge | 2 |
Tennessee got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Reed Miller out in front who went 6 of 10 en route to 14 points in addition to six boards and five assists. Miller is also on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last six games he's played. Colin Brown was another key player, going 6 for 11 on his way to 15 points and four steals.
Miller wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Tennessee was working as a unit and finished the game with 21 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, in a tight game that could have gone either way, Unicoi County made off with a 52-51 win over David Crockett. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Blue Devils.
Tennessee better keep an eye on Jackson Simmons. He was instrumental in Unicoi County's win, going 6 of 15 en route to 16 points and three steals. Another player making a difference was Kaden Cutlip, who posted ten points.
Unicoi County has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.8 points per game. As for Tennessee, they pushed their record up to 19-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.
Friday's match will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Brown and Simmons. Brown has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 24.5 points, 3.1 steals, and 3.1 assists on 50.3% shooting. For his part, Simmons has averaged 21.4 points, 1.4 steals, and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 43.7% from the three point line.
Tennessee beat Unicoi County 73-64 when the teams last played on January 14th. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Simmons, who went 8 for 18 on his way to 28 points. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Tennessee still be able to contain Simmons? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
