JONESBOROUGH - The Chuckey-Doak boys basketball season ended on Tuesday night after suffering an 86-71 loss to Alcoa in the Region 1-2A semifinals.
“My boys gave it everything they had tonight,” Chuckey-Doak Head Coach Sam Broyles said. “Give Alcoa credit. My goodness they’re good. We kept battling and I couldn’t ask for better.”
For the second year in-a-row they’d fall just short of securing a state sectional berth at the hands of the Tornadoes. Chuckey-Doak got all they could handle from Jahvin Carter who poured in a game-high 35 points.
They tried exploiting Alcoa’s lack in size down low by feeding Christian Derry in the post for 21 points, but the Tornadoes’ hot shooting from beyond the perimeter became a reoccurring problem for the Knights.
Brady Haun drained two triples early on to begin their hot night from the three-point line.
The Black Knights got their scoring underway with a bucket from senior Dillon Shelton. Cadin Tullock rained down a three-point bomb next. Isaiah Treadway pushed the ball up the floor and finished in transition with a reverse layup.
After Haun sank two three-pointers earlier, Eli Graf took his turn in sinking a pair.
Christian Derry started to gain his edge in the post with a layup and hook shot to cut their deficit down to seven halfway through the first.
The lead for Alcoa would grow to double digits with a three-point shot from Jahvin Carter.
The Tornadoes led 23-13 after the first period.
Carter went back to work right away with a turnaround jumper in the paint.
Chuckey-Doak went on a run in the second quarter and managed to cut the score down to four. Cadin Tullock banked in a three-point basket from the top of the key. Ethan Grindstaff’s layup and Luke Myers’ three-ball cut it to six. Brasen Murvin went to the foul line and sank a pair of free throws at the stripe.
Jahvin Carter busted another three-point bomb from long range to put a stop to the comeback attempt.
“A lot of the calls didn’t fall our way. We’d get it to about five and then they’d pull it back out,” Broyles mentioned.
The Black Knights trailed 35-27 at the break.
Carter landed another three-pointer through the net with a step-back jumper after losing his defender with a quick crossover.
Ethan Grindstaff went up strong for a layup and was fouled on the shot. He completed the and-one for a three-point trip down the court.
The complexion of the ballgame would shift when Alcoa had a five-point swing on their side of the floor. Carter’s and-one was followed by a technical foul assessed to Chuckey-Doak. The junior guard would nail all three free throws.
Christian Derry would try to will the Black Knights back with ten points in the third quarter. After a hook shot in the post, they managed to cut it back to single digits at 51-42.
Brandon Winton double-clutched a layup on his way to a reverse finish at the rim. Brady Haun went back to stripping the nets with another three-pointer from deep to extend Alcoa’s lead up to fourteen points.
Brock Rush splashed a three-pointer from beyond the arc before the frame ended.
The Tornadoes led 63-49 going into the fourth.
Cadin Tullock drained his third three-point basket of the ballgame and Christian Derry spotted up for a triple after.
Winton finished another athletic layup at the hoop. Haun dropped in his fourth triple of the contest from outside.
Isaiah Treadway would try to create a run with five points in quick fashion to cut it back to single digits, but Alcoa proved to be too tough in the end and ran away with the victory.
Alcoa would finish with an 86-71 victory to put an end to the Black Knights 2022-23 season.
Both teams put four players in double figures in the high-scoring affair.
Jahvin Carter led the way with 35 points for Alcoa. Brady Haun poured in 19 points, Eli Graf added 16 points, and Brandon Winton contributed with 12 points.
Christian Derry piled in 21 points. Isaiah Treadway produced 15 points, Cadin Tullock ended his career in black and gold with 13 points, and Ethan Grindstaff left the hardwood for the last time with 12 points.
“I couldn’t be more pleased and happier for this team. Nobody wants to lose, but we lost to a good team tonight. One game away from sub-state and I hate it didn’t happen for us,” Broyles expressed.
Chuckey-Doak finished with a 24-8 (5-3) record.
Alcoa faces off with Gatlinburg-Pittman for the Region 1-2A Championship on Thursday night at Pigeon Forge High School.
