Defense keys 3-game Farragut win streak

The winning streak reached three for the Farragut High School boys basketball team thanks to some stingy defense.

“We had to find out if we could win games like this. This is a big step for us, to see if we could win ugly games,” FHS head coach Jon Higgins said about the Ads’ 38-34 win over Grainger County Friday, Dec. 21, in the inaugural 5-Star Preps Christmas Classic in Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium.

It was the second big victory is as many nights for the Ads (5-10), opening tournament play by beating Karns 64-63 on a last-second shot by Will Brown Thursday, Dec. 20.

The Grizzlies (9-5) held a narrow 13-12 edge at the end of the first quarter. But Granger wouldn’t score another point until the 6-minute mark of the third quarter.

Jude Wren, Farragut senior guard, make a key steal on the final play of the game. “This is his first year playing high school basketball and he’s really been working hard and he really wants this,” Higgins said of Wren, who also knocked down a key three-point basket in the second half.

Dillon Atwell, freshman guard, led the Ads with 10 points. “We’re not making shots right now, so we have to come out and turn up the intensity on defense,” he said.

Brown added eight, followed by Robby Geron with seven points. Alec Keathley and Trey Nesbitt each had six for FHS. .