GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma boys’ basketball team kept an undefeated record of 5-0 against a highly skilled Shelbyville High School team on Dec. 2. They won the matchup by a score of 74-67.

Shelbyville, much like Tullahoma, came into this matchup red hot. Before the matchup, they had a record of 6-2.  They proved to be a tough team throughout this contest, with their junior guard Tommie Cannon leading the way. In the game, he had a team-high 16 points, with seven coming in the final period. His efforts were just not enough, as the Wildcats went on to win in overtime, and were clicking offensively, scoring a season high 74 points.

In the game, the Wildcats had four players in double figures and six players with seven or more points. One of the players for the Wildcats who hit double figures was junior Jackson Knight. His play off the bench has been huge for Tullahoma this season, as he looks like a completely different player a year separated from his sophomore season. On defense, he moves extremely well on the perimeter and is able to cover a lot of ground with his long limbs. At his size, he is also able to guard the interior well.

On offense, his game is under control. He does not force anything and is effective in the shots he chooses to take. He showed this on Tuesday night against Shelbyville as he scored his personal season high, 11 points. Knight did a great job at spacing the floor, knocking down a three in the third and fourth quarter.

The three other double-figure scorers on the night for the Wildcats were seniors Lukas Price (13), Austin Tinnon (14), and Alex Bobo (11). 

In overtime, as the two teams went into the extra time at a score of 59-59, the Wildcats excelled under pressure. The cliché of the saying defense and free throws win championships rang true at this time as Tullahoma shot a total of 13 free throws in the four minutes of OT. They did well in capitalizing on these chances as four different players combined for 11-13 from the line. On the other side of the court, the Wildcats’ defense woke up and shut down Shelbyville. They held the Golden Eagles to just six points, as they picked up their fifth win of the season and third win on the road.

Tullahoma will continue its road trip as they take on Lincoln County High School on Dec. 5. The Falcons currently have a record of 3-1 on the season. On Dec. 9, they will play their last game before returning to their home floor, playing Brentwood Academy High School on Dec. 9.