The Gilmer High School basketball teams traveled to Cartersville to take on the Purple Hurricanes, with mixed results. The Lady Cats clawed out a 65-53 victory while the Bobcats fell 71-55.The Lady Cats began the game in a Purple Hurricane haze as the home team took an early 5-0 lead before the Bobcat lady bounced back and tied. The first quarter was back and forth with the Purple Hurricanes taking a slim two point, 14-12, into the second quarter.

Megan Flowers tied the game with a jumper early in the second, that was the beginning of a Gilmer run that saw the Lady Cats outscore the home team 25-14 to take a 37-28 lead into the half.

Hannah Jones and Emily Sanford were, “killing them softly” with their game, as they combined for 21 first half points.

Cartersville was able to cut the lead down to four, 45-41, despite the Lady Cats stealing everything not nailed down, as head coach, Kim Charles, went with a heavy dose of full court press, which resulting in the Purple Hurricanes producing more turnovers than a Peyton Manning playoff bake sale.

Gilmer pulled away in the fourth eventually raining on the Purple Hurricanes parade with the 65-53 victory. Bailey Charles led with 18 points followed closely behind by Jones with 17 and Sanford with 16. Flowers finished with eight. Kaylee “TJ” Deyton finished with an uncredited tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, a sack, and a pancake block.

The boys’ game began with the Bobcats busting out an early lead as the “Cats” claimed a three point lead, 13-10, after the first quarter, thanks in part to timely threes from Samuel McArthur Chandler Cantrell and Isaac Hensley.

Cartersville outscored Gilmer 19-14 to take a slim two point lead, 29-27, into half time. The second half saw the Purple Hurricanes prove to be too much as Cartersville pulled away cruising to a 71-55 home game win.

Both Hensley and Allen led with 12 points. J.T. Bosley was second with 10, Cantrell scored nine and McArthur had eight.