CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The West Creek Coyotes hosted the Kenwood Knights for a rivalry matchup on Friday. A huge third quarter built the Coyotes a late lead, but a strong rally from the Knights forced overtime. Kenwood got it done in the extra period, earning the regular season sweep, 61-60.
Early on, neither team could get much going on the offensive end, and the teams traded the lead back and forth. Kenwood went into halftime with the lead but could only score one point in the third quarter and trailed by double digits heading into the final quarter.
“I’m a little disappointed; we proved that we can beat ourselves at any moment,” said Knights head coach Chase Cronin. “We missed a lot of shots in the third, but this team is talented, and we can be better than that.”
The Knights quickly got back on the right track, initiating a press defense and causing several quick turnovers – enough to force overtime. The Knights got some timely buckets from Zi’Kerion Hinton, who led all scorers with 17 points and took a two-point lead with 4 seconds remaining. A Kamden Hines layup for West Creek rimmed in and out, and the Knights earned a 61-60 overtime victory.
“We have to be more mentally tough,” said West Creek head coach Matthew Hardaway. “At times late, we were disciplined and got impatient. We have to lock in with the tournament approaching. We’re going to find out how this team wants to play.”
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As for the Knights, it’s a huge district win in terms of standings, and it’s a sweep of their cross-town rival in the regular season. These two teams met in the district championship last season, and Cronin is preparing his team for postseason tests.
“It’s not perfect, but to come in here and beat them, that’s special for our team,” said Cronin. “Defensively, we’re where we need to be; we just need to keep working offensively. We’re starting to see more shots fall, but we can’t beat ourselves, especially in February.”
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