ELLIJAY — The Dawson County boys sealed their fourth straight Region 7-3A title game appearance with a 77-68 win over Cherokee Bluff in the semifinals on Saturday at Gilmer High School.
In the much anticipated third meeting, No. 3 seeded Dawson County and No. 2 seeded Cherokee Bluff did not disappoint. The Tigers used a 13-8 run to close the contest after building a 13-point lead inside the final two minutes.
The two teams split in the regular season, but the neutral venue match-up was a tight game until Dawson County used a mid-third quarter 9-3 run to gain second-half momentum.
Dawson County's Max Tierney balanced his double-double performance across the halves with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Joakeim Celestin added another 19 for the Tigers.
“It was a really tough match-up but we found a way tonight with a good group effort by everyone,” Tierney said.
After Dawson built a 29-21 lead in the second quarter, the Bluff rallied to take a 31-30 lead in the final minute before the Dawson County's Ty Whitmire hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to regain the lead at the half, 36-35.
With the Tigers holding a 54-47 lead entering the fourth, the Tigers extended their lead to 11 with 5:46 remaining in the contest. The Bluff would make one final run at the Tigers, closing the gap, 64-60, with 3:38 remaining.
Shad Dabney would lead that charge with 15 of his game-high 23 coming in the fourth quarter. Corey Thomas contributed with 20.
“It was a balanced attack and was really pleased with our defense," Dawson County coach Todd Cottrell said. "Max Tierney was really good rebounding the basketball. I’m really proud of the team’s mental toughness, they kept everything in check.”
The Tigers will battle No. 1 seed White County in the region title game on Tuesday. If the Tigers knock off White County, it'll be their third consecutive region title.
