'Twas the night for basketball, and all through the gym, 

Not a student was cheering, not a her or a him,

The nets were hung from the rim with care, 

With hopes a shooter would emerge with some flair

Lacedrick Cox was nestled in the corner from three,

And when his shot tickled the twine, the students shouted with glee.

For again at Charlie Dalton Gym on Silent Night, the Pioneers showed Tullahoma their might.

Warren County continued its perfect run at home Friday, downing Tullahoma 55-52 for its fifth straight victory on its home floor.

The Pioneers, now 8-2, prevailed on Silent Night against the Wildcats. Fans were asked to stay silent until the Pioneers scored their seventh point, which came when Cox drilled a corner 3.

Cox ignited the crowd, but it was CJ Taylor who stole the show. The sophomore forward exploded for 23 points, helping Warren County scratch to a win.

"We didn't have our best game, including me," said coach Chris Sullens. "We just kept grinding."

Taylor scored 10 in the fourth quarter, helping Warren County fight from a four-point deficit to win. Taylor was the catalyst in a 7-0 run that proved to be the difference, highlighting the stretch by Eurostepping through the Tullahoma defense for a reverse layup.

Raven Lewandowski gave the Pioneers an eight-point lead with 1:35 to play with a three-point play, finishing through contact to put Warren County ahead 52-44.

Tullahoma was able to cut the advantage to 54-52 with 8.7 seconds left on a Ben Fulton 3-pointer. Taylor pushed the lead back to three with a free throw with 4.5 seconds to play, but missed the clincher.

The Wildcats tried to rush out for a game-tying shot, but Lewandowski smothered Fulton and kept him from shooting before the buzzer.

Warren County trailed for the majority of the first three quarters, falling behind 26-23 at halftime and 38-37 entering the fourth quarter. 

The Pioneers were clutch when it counted most though.

"We want to protect our home court," said Sullens. "It's something we take a lot of pride in doing."

Cox finished with season-high 12 points, while Lewandowski added eight.

Information about the Pioneers' blowout win over Grundy County Thursday can be found on the Standard website.