Oak Ridge Today

Higgins scores 33, a career high, during win over Fulton

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Oak Ridge Higgins Shoots Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons Web

Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins (5) scored 33 points, a career high, during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—Oak Ridge senior Tee Higgins scored 33 points, a career high, during a 76-65 win at Fulton on Saturday.

Higgins hit three three-point shots, made 12 free throws (he had 14 attempts), and pulled down 10 rebounds.

“He told me on the way over here he was ready to go,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.

Falcons fans remember Higgins. In the last game at Jody Wright Arena two years ago—the gym was loud, hot, and packed that night, too—Higgins hit a three-point shot with 3.1 seconds left to give Oak Ridge a one-point victory. The Wildcats had been down by two, but Higgins, who was then a sophomore, finished the dramatic all-out battle between the two top-five teams. Besides the game-winning three-pointer, he had 20 points and 14 rebounds in that classic game.

The Wildcats didn’t get off to a great start this year in the non-district game on Saturday, the last of the regular season for Oak Ridge. Fulton jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and led for much of the first quarter.

“We gave up some easy points defensively,” Green said. [Read more…]

Tied with Oak Ridge, Fulton wins on free throw with 0.2 seconds left

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Oak Ridge Guinn Drive Fulton Feb 11 2017 Simmons

Oak Ridge sophomore Jada Guinn (24), shown driving to the basket here, scored a game-high 27 points during a 48-47 loss at Fulton on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The game was decided on a free throw with 0.2 seconds left. (Photo by Luther Simmons)

 

KNOXVILLE—It was the closest game of the year for the Lady Wildcats, and it was decided on a free throw after a controversial foul was called with 0.2 seconds left.

The half court foul, beyond the three-point line, sent Fulton junior LayLay Manning to the line to shoot three times. Giving hope to Oak Ridge fans, who wanted overtime, she missed the first two. But after timeouts were called, Manning dropped in the third free throw, giving the Lady Falcons a 48-47 win over Oak Ridge in a non-district game on Saturday, the last of the regular season.

It was a battle throughout, with the two teams regularly trading leads. Most of the time, neither team led by more than four points. One reporter compared it to a state championship game.

Fulton (22-4, 7-2 District 3-AA) was led by Keke McKinney, a 6-foot-1 senior forward who announced in October that she is going to Kentucky. She scored 22 points in the hot, loud, packed Jody Wright Arena on Saturday.

Oak Ridge (24-3, 16-0 District 3-AAA) was led by Jada Guinn, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard. She scored a game-high 27 points, with 18 in the second half alone. [Read more…]