First-quarter action Tuesday night as the Pioneers played host to Cannon County can only be described as lackluster. Neither team shot well in the paint and the 8-6 lead the Lions held going into the second quarter would have been larger if not for a trey by Pioneer Irving Espinoza.
Both teams hit the afterburners starting in the second quarter, but the Pioneers had a better boost as they went on to outscore Cannon County every remaining quarter for a 54-42 win.
Espinoza, a freshman, would be the Pioneers top scorer with 13 points. Four buckets were from outside the arc.
“We got the win, but we just have to play better,” said Warren County coach Chris Sullens. “We struggled with the game flow and didn’t put on the kind of pressure I would have liked. With district play coming up, we have a lot of cleaning up to do.”
Although the Pioneers would keep the lead after the opening quarter, the score was oftentimes just one or two buckets apart as Cannon County kept trying to overcome the Pioneer drives. Warren County responded with a halfcourt trap and Cannon County’s shooting accuracy dropped.
Although the Lions had some height with the lanky Trey Fann, whose 16 points was a game-high, he fouled out in the fourth, giving the Pioneers (10-6) a bit more breathing room.
Caleb Newby stepped up for the Pioneer offense too, following just behind Espinoza with 11 points
The Pioneers distributed the basketball well, but the inside shooting conversion was tough to come by on both ends of the court, so much so Pioneer Isaiah Grayson was limited to 7 points. Grayson usually breaks double digits so it was even more vital Warren County spread out the offense.
The Pioneers were able to stabilize in the fourth quarter, hanging onto a 12-point lead at the final buzzer as Tyree Ladet, using the fade, hit for 7 points, Sloan Seymour 6, Isaac Golden 5, Chance Hobbs 3 and Ethan Smith was good for 2 points.
The Pioneers start district play Friday in Crossville as they travel to meet the Cumberland County Jets. Varsity games begin at 6 p.m. with the Pioneers playing around 7:30 p.m.