While the scores from Raider Arena in the District 5-4A opener appeared to be blow outs by the highly-favored squad, the Cleveland boys gave Walker Valley all it wanted for 2 1/2 quarters before the Mustangs hit a full gallop down the back stretch.
Both the Stallions and Lady Raiders were picked before the season to be the top teams in the district race and they looked like it with the Herd winning 67-48, while the Cleveland girls, despite missing their leading scorer, dominated 53-17.
“Really happy to get a road district win. Always tough to win in the road. Cleveland played hard and made it tough on us,” assessed head wrangler Will Campbell.
“We were able to make some plays down the stretch when we needed it. Proud of the guys and their effort tonight.”
Just a couple of weeks from her due date, Cleveland girls head coach Bianca Hensley wasn’t as thrilled with what she saw from the sideline.
“Happy to start district play 1-0. I thought tonight’s game was very sloppy on our part. We missed several easy baskets that we usually convert.
“We did a good job of turning them over (19 steals in 29 turnovers) tonight. As a whole, we have to play better and our energy level has to improve,” she assessed.
The Lady Raiders were without sophomore Ariyah Huffman, who was in a walking boot after suffering a minor ankle injury Saturday. Averaging 16.7 points per game, she is expected to be back to play Friday.
Both programs will back on the hardwood Friday evening for more district play with Walker Valley traveling to Chattanooga to take on Howard, while Cleveland heads across town to face off with archrival Bradley Central.
The opening game at Jim Smiddy Arena will be a match of the two top teams in the preseason polls as the three-time TSSAA defending state champion Bearettes (6-0) and Lady Raiders (7-1) were tied atop the media voting, with Bradley holding a slight edge in the coaches’ opinion.
The Bradley girls have won 150 straight district games, including Tuesday thrashing of Ooltewah, with Cleveland beating them 49-40 in overtime exactly 11 years from Friday’s date on Dec. 12, 2014. That game was played at Cleveland Middle School since the old Raider Dome had been condemned.
MUSTANGS 67
RAIDERS 48
Never trailing in the contest, Walker Valley (5-0) netted the first five points when senior Turner Clayton and junior Zach Davis both copped steals and turned them into baskets, with Clayton’s resulting in an old fashion three-point play.
Cleveland (4-5) finally got on the board when junior Malachi King put back in an offensive rebound 2:35 into the contest before the teams traded the following four baskets, with Raider senior Baraka Ndegwa draining back-to-back “downtown” bombs to close the gap to 9-8.
The Herd responded with a 7-0 spurt to regain control and led 19-12 at the first buzzer, having hit 8-of-9 shots from in front of the arc in the frame.
The hosts dropped in a pair of buckets to trim the deficit to just four points, while holding the Herd scoreless for 3:25 to open the second frame.
Once the Stallion sharpshooters got their range they exploded on a 14-6 streak, including senior Cael Coates dialing long distance twice, for a double-digit advantage before Raider Dee Lovelace swished and NBA-range three-pointer from the top of the key as the horn blared to close the gap back to single digits (33-24) at the intermission.
After Mustang senior Isaac Sausville dropped in a fast-break bucket to open the second half scoring, Cleveland ran off eight straight points, including Ndegwa once again going back-to-back from beyond the arc to pull difference to just three points (35-32).
The Herd once again answered with a 15-10 run to close out the third period with a double-digit edge (52-42).
Cleveland went cold, hitting just 1-of-19 from the field, plus were just 4-for-8 at the charity stripe in the final eight minutes as the Stallions gallup away with a final 15-6 streak to the finish line.
Zach Davis led all scorers with 21 points, hitting 9-of-16 from the field and 2-for-3 at the stripe. He also cleared nine rebounds and copped a trio of thefts.
Clayton helped out with 18 markers, with all but two of his points netted in the first and third frames. Sausville helped out with eight points and a half dozen caroms.
Senior Ashton Davis dropped in six points, while handing out seven assists and clearing six ricochets. Classmate Wyatt Keeton also pulled down a half dozen boards and netted five points.
As a team, Walker Valley shot 62% (23-of-37) from in front of the 19-foot arc, but were just 4-for-18 (22.2%) beyond it, plus made 60% (9-of-15) from the free throw line.
Only four Raiders got into the scoring column with Ndegwa drilling five long-range shots on his way to 18 markers.
Senior Dee Lovelace collected 11 points, five assists, five rebounds and swiped a trio of thefts.
Sophomore Daxton Evans banged for 10 points and blocked a pair of shots, while King added nine markers, six caroms and hended out a couple of “dimes.”
Putting up more shots from distance (8-for-24, 33.3%) than close in (9-for-19, 46.4%), Cleveland, which had a trio of starters on the bench in street clothes, made just half of its dozen foul shots.
The Mustangs won the backboard battle 36-20, plus only had five turnovers, to 10 for the home team.
LADY RAIDERS 53
LADY MUSTANGS 17
Bouncing back from its only loss this season to Ensworth 54-47 Saturday, Cleveland trailed 1-0 after a Madi McDonald free throw to open the scoring before sophomore Jada Davis came off the bench for a 3-ball and a pair of charity tosses to spark a 14-0 run.
Leading 20-5 at the first horn, the Lady Raider defense held the Herd scoreless in the second frame, causing more turnovers (8) than shots taken (7) in the eight-minute span.
Pushing its 37-5 halftime advantage to 45-10, the hosts force a “running clock” for the final frame.
Reigning District 5 Player of the Year Laney Copeland led the charge with 11 points, including a pair of triples, and three thefts.
Davis helped out with 10 points, while sophomore Addy Gravelle garnered nine markers and five rebounds.
Senior Ilianis Rodriguez added eight points, eight steals, four caroms and a trio of blocked shots. Junior Izzy Smith netted a half dozen markers for the victors.
McDonald topped Walker Valley (2-5) with eight points, five rebounds, three thefts and she “swatted” a couple of shots.
Abby Hernandez pulled down six ricochets, blocked four shots and added three markers. Freshman Kensley Stansell put up four points.
Walker Valley, which was down four starters, got off just 27 shots, making only 5-of-19 from close range (26.3%) and 1-of-8 from distance (12.5%).
Cleveland shot 45.7% (16-of-35) from in front of the arc and were just 27.2% (3-of-11) from beyond it.
The Lady Raiders out rebounded the visitors 24-18 and had just 11 turnovers.
GAME SUMMARIESDistrict 5-4ATuesday, Dec. 9at Raider ArenaGirls GameWalker Valley     5   0   5   7 — 17Cleveland        20  17  8  8 — 53LADY MUSTANGS (17) — Madi McDonald 8, Kensley Stansell 4, Abby Hernandez 3, Kaija Cox 2, Goode, Kessler, Goetz, Webb, Graham, Ai. Hernandez, Shirk.LADY RAIDERS (53) — Laney Copeland 11, Jada Davis 10, Addy Gravelle 9, Ilianis Rodriguez 8, Izzy Smith 6, Kenley Pryor 4, Emily Patterson 2, Claire Lambert 2, Ariston Cross 1, Bradford, Tippens.3-POINTERS: WV 1 (McDonald); CHS 3 (Copeland 2, Davis).FREE THROWS: WV 4-of-6 (66.7%); CHS 12-of-20 (60%).RECORDS: Walker Valley 2-5, 0-1 District 5-4A; Cleveland 7-1, 1-0 District 5-4A.Boys GameWalker Valley    19  14  19  15 — 67Cleveland       12  12  18   6 — 48MUSTANGS (67) — Zach Davis 21, Turner Clayton 18, Isaac Sausville 8, Ashton Davis 6, Cael Coates 6, Wyatt Keeton 5, Michael Wood 3, Ayers, Yost, Ensley.RAIDERS (48) — Baraka Ndegwa 18, Dee Lovelace 11, Daxton Evans 10, Malachi King 9, Morla, Johnson, Matthews.3-POINTERS: WV 4 (Coates 2, Z. Davis, Clayton); 8 (Ndegwa 5, King 2, Lovelace).FREE THROWS: WV 9-of-15 (60%); 6-of-12 (50%).RECORDS: Walker Valley 5-0, 1-0 District 5-4A; Cleveland 4-5, 0-1 District 5-4A.