Bryson City – Friday’s conference basketball game with Cherokee turned into a classic. Both teams played hard and well, turning the affair into an entertaining thrilling game that went down to the wire before Swain held on for an 84-82 win. Swain pulled away in the 4th quarter, building at one point a double digit lead. But foul trouble hampered the Devils, and when Bradley Vestal and Zeke Bradly both fouled out the Devils came away fortunate to hold off a furious Cherokee rally that made it a 2 point game as time expired.
The Maroon Devils got a surprise boost from sophomore guard Judaiah Littlejohn. Littlejohn, the Maroon Devils only sophomore, produced a team high, and career high, 31 points. Zeke Bradly came through with his usual well rounded game. Bradly scored 24 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, while dishing out 7 assists. Gaige Southards added 12 points, while Jesse Waldroup had 8 rebounds.
Cherokee got a team high 31 points from Josiah Lossiah, along with 15 points from Blake Smith.