Both Jr. High 'Lander squads top Buffaloes

By Wes Holtsclaw
STAR STAFF
wholtsclaw@starhq.com

   The Little Milligan boys' and girls' eighth grade basketball teams had a tough time on their hands.
   In Monday night's doubleheader at Sonny Smith Gym, the Buffalo units played their hearts out against bigger Cloudland squads, but couldn't pull away with victories.
   The Highlander boys' squad used big runs to pull away with a 66-15 win, while Cloudland's Lady 'Landers cruised from a 22-6 halftime lead en route to a 44-29 win.
   CLOUDLAND (Girls) 44
   LITTLE MILLIGAN 29
   Cloudland had to work around Megan Holtsclaw's strong performance for the Lady Buffaloes in the earlier girls contest.
   Holtsclaw put up 20 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter to help Little Milligan keep things on track against the Lady 'Landers.
   The Lady Buffalo unit only put up six points in the first half, including a three-pointer from Angel Miller, while Cloudland used strong runs from Bethany Bare and Jordan Miller to help build a sizable lead in the game.
   Cloudland got big things out of Elisha Pritchard, Rebeckah Tolley and Kasey Partington to open the second half.
   Seventh graders Shellie McKiney, Brooke Johnson and Sydnie Buchanan helped pace the squad defensively as they pulled away numerous rebounds and blocks.
   Holtsclaw drained four shots for her unit late in the second half, while Marge Anton contributed four points in the frame.
   Tolley led Cloudland with 12 points, while Bare and Pritchard pulled 8 and 6 respectively. Anton finished with four for Little Milligan, while Lady 'Landers Miller and Partington added the same.
   CLOUDLAND (Boys) 66
   LITTLE MILLIGAN 15
   Cloudland was hard for the Buffaloes to handle from the beginning of the contest.
   Michael Lunsford scored 9 of his game-high 17 points in the first period, which also saw runs from Randall Johnson and Jordan Hughes.
   Gregory Sams put in Little Milligan's two points in the frame from the charity stripe.
   The Highlanders' points were more spread out in the second quarter, while Sams and Cory Crumley continued success with free throws for their unit. But Cloudland took a 32-7 lead into the second half.
   The squad picked things right back up in the third quarter when Alex Gouge and Brett Stocton battled with inside buckets.
   Daniel Estep's three-pointer and a John Price bucket paced Little Milligan's last strong run in the game.
   Nick Sluder's five-point run helped the 'Landers put things away in the fourth as each member on the squad scored.
   Gouge finished up with ten for Cloudland, while Johnson and Sluder pulled out nine and eight, respectively.
   Sams and Crumley led Little Milligan with five points apiece.