Bryson City – The Maroon Devils nearly pulled off the upset they desperately needed but Hayesville held off their bid and took a 71-62 win. Heading into the final game of the season the Devils needed to beat Hayesville to remain tied for 2nd in the Smoky Mountain Conference, only problem was Hayesville came in undefeated on the season. Swain did everything they needed against the state’s number 1 ranked team, even building a commanding 15 point lead during the 3rd quarter.
Then the 4th quarter came and the Maroon Devils lead was whittled down to nothing. Hayesville took the lead for the first time in the game with roughly 3 minutes left in the game. It was a tough quarter for the Devils as they were outscored 29-7 over the final 8 minutes. The Maroon Devils played nearly flawless for 3 quarters, building a 55-42 lead heading into the 4th. Swain found themselves playing without 3 starters and 1 key reserve for much of the 4th period.
Swain got 20 points from senior Judaiah Littlejohn, before Littlejohn left with an injury. Cooper Hyatt chipped in 13 points and Carter Kirkland added 12 points before fouling out. Kirkland and Littlejohn finished with 8 rebounds each while Isaiah Collins dished out 5 assists.
In action earlier in the week Swain traveled to Highlands and took a 49-47 win. Swain held the lead for most of the game, but Highlands came back and tied the game with 9.8 seconds remaining. Judaiah Littlejohn calmly sank both of his free throws to give Swain the win at 49-47.
Isaiah Collins finished with a game high 17 points, to go with 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Judaiah Littlejohn added 12 points for the Devils and also had 9 rebounds.