The Cannon County Lionettes dropped from 1st place all the way to third in the District 8-AA standings after Friday night’s game against the York Institute Lady Dragons. The Lionettes suffered defensive breakdowns that saw the Lady Dragons lead throughout the game. York gained a 10 point cushion in the fourth quarter but the Lionettes battled back despite poor shooting from the field to tie the game and force overtime. In the overtime period York was able to take advantage of more defensive mistakes by the Lionettes and took the upset win 62-58. Cannon’s district record is now 5-2 which left them tied with Smith County. Smith County owns the tiebreaker as of right now with a win last week over the Lionettes even though the two teams have yet to play each other again. Abbey Sissom led all scorers in the loss with 15 points. The Cannon County Lions ball team tried something different in starting a senior lineup to begin the game. Jarrett Melton responded by leading the team in the first period with 9 points. Then Cory Henley netted 16 in the second quarter and the Lions were on their way to their best road game of the year. York would make a game of it by posting a comeback late in the fourth quarter but the Lions sewed it up at the free throw line and went on to win 61-54. Henley finished with a game high 21 points while Melton added 15 and Tanner Larson chipped in 14. The win moves Cannon to 4-3 in the district one game behind third place Upperman in the District standings. Cannon will host Central Magnet in a district contest on Tuesday.
