Stephen Sullivan of Coffee County basketball
A 25 point outburst in the 4th quarter helped Coffee County stave off elimination in the play-in game of the District 8AAA basketball tournament on Tuesday night as the Red Raiders dropped Tullahoma 56 to 35. Leading by 6 points entering the final period, the Red Raiders got huge 4th quarter performances from Stephen Sullivan and Caleb McKenzie to drop the Wildcats for the 2nd time in 5 days. McKenzie scored all 8 of his points in the last frame hitting a pair of 3 pointers to spark a rally that saw the Raiders close out the game on a 10 to 2 run. Coffee County took the lead in the final 2 minutes of the 1st quarter and never trailed in the final 3 periods to extend their season to the District tournament quarterfinals on Friday night in Shelbyville.
Coffee County was led in scoring by Grant Sadler and Wyatt Day who each netted 13 points. Sullivan added 11 points, including 9 in the second half to be named the Gateway Tire and Service Center player of the game. After the game, Coach Micah Williams had this to say about Sullivan:
The Red Raiders dominated the play in the paint on the 2nd half as they limited the 2nd chance baskets that Tullahoma had relied on in the 1st half. Coach Micah Williams had this to say about his team’s execution in the rebounding game.
With the win, Coffee County will now face Shelbyville on Friday night for a 6 PM game in Shelbyville. A win on Friday night guarantees the Raiders their 2nd region berth in the last 3 years and will give them a game at home on Saturday in the District Tournament semifinals. The Lady Raiders open tournament play on Thursday when the travel to Winchester to take on Franklin County in the girls’ quarterfinal round. That game tips off at 6 PM as well. As always, Thunder Radio will be on hand to bring you all the action. We begin our broadcast both nights at 5:50 with the Powers Storage Pregame Show.
District 8AAA Basketball Tournament bracket
