CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Rossview Lady Hawks met up with the East Nashville Eagles at Kirkwood for the inaugural Wyatt Johnson-Hyundai Cobras Christmas Classic on Friday. It was a two-point contest at the half, but the Eagles’ 13-0 run to open the second half was the difference, and East Nashville won a comfortable 40-26 decision over Rossview.
The game began as a defensive struggle, taking three minutes for either team to score. East Nashville led 5-4 at the end of the first quarter, but the second quarter was Ellie Hankemeier’s time to shine, scoring eight points in the period; however, the Eagles still led 17-15 at half.
The Hawks handled the ball pressure from East Nashville in the first half, but it got to them early and often in the second. The Eagles went on a 13-0 run to start the third quarter, and never looked back.
“Our game plan going in was we knew we had to handle pressure from a physical athletic team,” said Hawks head coach Drew Smith. “We handled everything they threw at us, and they gave us some respect, but as soon as they saw we couldn’t, they stepped on our throat. It took us a little too long to steady ourselves. We proved we can handle it, but we also proved we can’t handle it for all 32 minutes yet.”
Despite a late rally by Rossview, East Nashville won the game comfortably, 40-26, led by guards Kennedy Thornton and Tayla McGee, who each scored 12 points.
For the Hawks, it’s about continuing to learn and grow, and knowing that their best basketball is still ahead. “Some of it is trying to develop our offense and continue to grow our confidence,” said Smith. “It’s the little things that we need to be consistent about, whether that’s layups or boxing out. Our team is young, but as they grow more confident and develop, we can demonstrate that we haven’t yet played our best basketball.”
| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter