It’s rare for the Cannon County Lions to get a basketball win on the road at Livingston. It’s even more rare for the Lions to jump out to a big lead against what has been one of the top teams in the district for over a decade. Friday night Cannon accomplished both feats although the latter didn’t last long. The Lions looked at one point in the first half like they were going to blow out the Wildcats as they built a 14 point lead early in the second quarter but then the Lions repeated the sloppy play they exhibited after they built a 21 point lead against Upperman a few nights before. Livingston took advantage of the turnovers and closed the gap by four going into the final frame. With the Lions in foul trouble, the Wildcats forced the first lead change of the game in the fourth period and at that point it was whoever wanted it the most. Game ended up tied four times in the fourth with the most important tie of the game at the end of regulation which meant overtime. Livingston got a cushion lead of four points but the Lions would create a cruical turnover with under a minute to go to tie the game up at 70-70. Livingston on their next possession hit two free throws off a Lion foul to take the lead 72-70 and set the stage for the dramatic finish. With 5 seconds left after a timeout, the Lions inbounded the ball to Jacob Nave. Nave turned and fired a desperation shot at the buzzer and nailed it. The referees ruled it was a three point shot and Cannon snuck out of Livingston with a 73-72 overtime thrilling win. The win puts Cannon in sole possession of first place even though in the standings they are tied with York. York is appealing a postseason suspension currently. Nave finished with a game high 24 while Garrett McReynolds netted 16 and Josh Ruehlan poured in 11. Cannon’s record is 16-5 overall and 5-1 in district play. If the Cannon County Lionettes weren’t feeling 100 percent in the opener against Livingston, the Lionettes have to feel good about their chances when they do get to 100 percent. Forward Kendra Maynard suffered back problems while guard Kelly Davis was a game time decision due to not feeling well and the Lionettes already had the odds stacked against them even before they stepped on the floor against Livingston. The Lionettes were able to keep pace with Livingston through the first quarter trailing 10-9 but in the second quarter the Lady Cats were able to score inside the paint and built a 12 point lead. The Lionettes made adjustments and with a full court press came back to tie the game 43 all going into the fourth quarter. But foul problems plagued the Lionettes. Livingston had no problems connecting on their free throws to seal the win 50-43. Erin McReynolds led the Lionettes with 15 points while Kristin Hale and Kelli Davis added 10. Autumn King was able to stay out of foul trouble most of the game until the final period. She finished with 9 points.
The Lions and Lionettes come back to Robert A Harris Gym Tuesday to face rival Dekalb County. The Lionettes are now 15-5 and 2-4 in district play
