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Cumberland Gap High School hosted the Washburn Pirates on Nov. 25. There were three games on the schedule including the junior varsity boys and the two varsity teams.

The first varsity game to tip off were the Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers pounced on the Lady Pirates early running off to a 9-0 start and then just poured it on taking a 20-6 lead at the end of the first period.

Washburn didn’t find anything to slow the Lady Panthers down during the second period and struggled to score the basketball. After two periods of play, the Lady Panthers led 36-11. Defense was the key to the quick start and the turnovers equated to points.

Cumberland Gap led 53-20 after three periods, and the clock running clock was the Lady Panthers best friend. The clock ticked down to zeros, and the Lady Panthers won the game 58-34.

Abbie Fultz led the Lady Panthers in scoring with 14 points. Abigail Garner had nine, Jaden Brock had eight, Presley Cole had seven, Kerry Dixon along with Kayli Hinckley dropped in six each, Nevaeh Kerns and Kylie Fultz had three each to round out the scoring.

The Lady Pirates were led by Tori Coffman with 19 points.

Lady Panthers head coach Dennis Cline spoke about his team after the game, “I think we played well. We did a lot of good things out there, but I saw some things we can improve on such as our passing.”

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The Panthers were next, and they were ready to battle the Pirates. The first basket went to the Panthers, and they pushed out to an 8-0 lead before Washburn got their first three of the game. At the end of the first period Cumberland Gap led 16-8.

The Panthers full court defensive pressure helped the offense pull on out, but the Pirates stayed within striking distance. At the end of the first half the Panthers enjoyed a 29-16 lead.

The Panthers held a 22-point lead with just under two minutes remaining in the third and finished with a 54-27 advantage. The Panthers held strong during the fourth quarter to secure a 67-43 victory.

Panthers head coach Cory Cheek had mixed emotions about the game, “They played well, but we have some things that need worked on. We’ve got to do a better job valuing possessions and limiting our turnovers.

“We’ve got to do a better job defending without fouling and our free-throw shooting has to improve if we want a chance to compete every night in our district.”