CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Gladeville Wildcats traveled to Richview Middle School for the Region 6-3A tournament semifinals against the Cowboys on Thursday. A physical, fast-paced contest saw Richview pull away in the third quarter for a 54-37 win, earning them a spot in the Region Championship on Saturday, and ending Gladeville’s season.

The first half was back-and-forth fun for all in attendance, but the rust showed on both teams from not having played or practiced since the ice storm. The turnover bug bit both teams, allowing for some flashy fast-break opportunities. The Cowboys only led by two at the end of the first, but a 9-0 run to start the second quarter put them up 24-16 at the break, led by 9 points from guard Cliff Pember.

“It was a difficult game; we haven’t been in school for 10 days and haven’t been able to practice much,” said Cowboys head coach Josh Buchholz. “With that, you just never know what’s going to happen when you come out and play. I was proud of them for coming out and playing hard. We can play a wide range of styles. We’re fortunate to play a lot of physical, grind-it-out kind of teams throughout the year, and it bodes well for us when it comes to tournament time.”

| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter

The third quarter was the separator, as Richview outscored Gladeville 19-6 in the period to almost seal it away, including two three-pointers from guard Alex Hines, who ended the night as the second leading scorer with 9. Pember cemented his prolific night with a 23-point performance, and the Cowboys cemented a spot in the region title on Saturday against Mount Juliet at 6 p.m. at Richview. The reigning state runner-ups, the Cowboys, have two more games to win before they get another shot at the state tournament.

“Every game is a championship game from here on out,” said Bucholz. “We have lofty goals here at Richview, and with that comes the expectation that we put out a championship-level effort every time we’re on the floor. Whomever we see on Saturday, we’re going to prepare to the best of our abilities, and go out there and give it our all.”

| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Clarksville Now app