Lady Ads get one big win; boys struggle

Using an explosive fourth quarter, outscoring Fulton 20-4 in the final eight minutes, Jason Mayfield’s Farragut High School Lady Admirals began strong last week.

A 51-33 victory in FHS’s Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium Tuesday night, Dec. 6, was led by Maelyn McNealy, a senior guard transfer who scored a game-high 16 points.

Annalise Bishop, a senior guard, and Annie Priest, a sophomore point guard, each scored eight points in the victory, which improved the Lady Ads’ record to 6-4 overall. Lucy Beck, a sophomore, added seven points while providing depth at guard.

However, a trip to Johnson City for the Double Tree Roundball Tournament saw the Farragut girls lose decisively to the host Science Hill Lady Hilltoppers Friday, Dec. 9, and again versus Elizabethton one day later, falling to 6-4 overall entering this week.

Farragut boys 0-3

On the boys side last week, Fulton used a 13-2 fourth-quarter run to defeat the Admirals 61-51 Dec. 6 at FHS.

Seven turnovers in the final eight minutes by the home team proved costly, as did free throw shooting, where the Ads were only 9-of-19 for the game.

Aiden Vanacker, Farragut junior wing, had a hot hand from the perimeter, sinking five three-point jumpers en route to a team-leading 20-point performance.

His brother, sophomore wing Dominic Vanacker, scored 11, while freshman point guard Parker Lane added nine.

Senior post Tyson Jackson, whose play in the paint is even more critical while senior starting post Dallas Carbaugh is out nursing a knee injury, scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter.

A pair of Double Tree Roundball Tourney losses would follow over the weekend, falling to host Science Hill 65-56 Dec. 9 before dropping a heartbreaker versus Volunteer one day later 69-67.

Farragut began this week with a 5-5 record.