A trip to K-Town to face of a pair of Top 5 teams proved difficult for the Cleveland basketball squads Tuesday as both were held to under 40 points.
Snapping an 11-game winning streak the eighth-ranked Lady Raiders had a late collapse, falling to No. 3 Bearden 64-37, while the Runnin' Raiders had trouble getting started , falling to the fourth-ranked Bulldogs 68-36.
Cleveland will regroup before traveling to Athens Friday evening for a key District 5-4A showdown with McMinn County.
On Saturday the Raider squads will head across town to battle archrival Bradley Central, in Jim Smiddy Arena.
The nationally-ranked Bearettes are the only other team to hold the Cleveland girls below 40 markers this season.
LADY BULLDOGS 64, LADY RAIDERS 37: After Bearden (24-4) pulled out to a 15-10 edge at the first horn, both teams netted just nine points in the second period.
The Lady Bulldogs once again posted a five-point (15-10) advantage in the third frame before doubling up the visitors 18-9 in the final eight minutes.
Natalya Hodge, a 5-foot-7 guard who currently holds 25 Division 1 offers, many of those from schools in the SEC, ACC, and Big Ten, led the victors with 14 of her game-high 27 points coming in the final frame . In her three years in the starting lineup, the Lady Bulldogs are 89-9.
Looking for a fourth straight trip to the TSSAA State Championships, Bearden also got double-digit scoring from Kendall Anne Murphy (11) and Emma Rainey (10). Hodge and Rainey both drilled a pair of shots from long distance, while Murphy went 5-for-6 from the foul line.
Cleveland sophomore Laney Copeland countered with 17 points, including four 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, Tennessee signee Lauren Hurst pitched in with 15 points, going 3-for-3 from "distance," plus 3-of-5 inside the arc.
The only other Lady Raider to score was freshman Ariyah Huffman, who netted five points.
Getting off just 40 shots, Cleveland was 8-for-22 (36.4%) from long range, but only 5-for-18 (27.8%) from close in. The Lady Raiders only attempted three free throws, making just one.
BULLDOGS 68, RAIDERS 36: With Cleveland (11-10) held to single digit scoring in the first three frames, Bearden (22-4) pulled away throughout.
After leading 15-7 at the first buzzer, the Bulldogs used a 16-4 second quarter run for a 20-point halftime advantage.
The second half was much closer with the hosts only able to add three points (12-9) to the lead in the third period before Cleveland rallied for a 16-12 edge in the final eight minutes.
The Raiders got a dozen points apiece from seniors Tim Matthews and Andrew Miolen. Matthews wnet 7-of-8 at the charity stripe, while Miolen was 3-for-5 close in plus had a pair of triples.
Junior AJ Westfield dropped in eight markers.
As team, Cleveland got off just 29 shots in the 32 minutes, hitting 6-of-18 (33.3%) inside the arc and just 2-for-11 (18.2%) beyond it.
Bearden had four double-digit scorers with sophomore Brendan Murphy leading the balanced attack with 14, while Kin gHubbard added a dozen. Justin Norden and Andrew Baker netted 10 each.
GAME SUMMARIES
Tuesday, Feb. 4
at Knoxville
Girls Game
Cleveland 10 9 9 9 — 37
Bearden 15 9 14 18 — 64
LADY RAIDERS (37) — Laney Copeland 17, Lauren Hurst 15, Ariyah Huffman 5, E. Smith, Rodriguez, Davis, Gravelle, I. Smith.
LADY BULLDOGS (56) — Natalya Hodge 27, Kendall Anne Murphy 11, Emma Rainey 10, Aisha Patel 6, McVeigh 2, Nesbit, Mills, Foster.
3-POINTERS: C 8 (Copeland 4, Hurst 3, Huffman); B 4 (Hodge 2, Rainey 2).
FREE THROWS: C 1-of-3; B 8-of-10.
RECORDS: No. 8 Cleveland 18-5; No. 3 Bearden 24-4.
Boys Game
Cleveland 7 4 9 16 — 36
Bearden 15 16 25 12 — 68
RUNNIN' RAIDERS (36) — Tim Matthews 12, Andrew Miolen 12, AJ Westfield 8, James 2, Krepps 2, Evans, Ndegwa, Reinbold, Williams, Cason.
BuLLDOGS (68) —
Brendan Murphy 14, King Hubbard 12, Justin Norden 10, Andrew Baker 10, Sean Capshaw 8, Blair 4, Watson 4, Mahoney 2, Parrot 2, Fezzares 2, Cullon, Doettl, Mills, Lynn.
3-POINTERS: C 2 (Miolen 2); B 6 (Murphy 2, Baker 2, Norden 2).
FREE THROWS: C 11-of-15; OR 6-of-7.
RECORDS: Cleveland 11-10; No. 4 Bearden 22-4.