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SEVIERVILLE – Just two weeks after a come-from-behind win over Sevier County, Morristown West had the opportunity to do it again on Thursday night.

Taking on the Smoky Bears in the District 2-4A Semifinals, West trailed by seven with 5:33 to go but scored six straight to make it a one-point game with 4:02 remaining.

However this time around, the comeback would not be completed.

Sevier County’s Reed Ownby stopped the run by hitting a shot while being fouled, converting a 3-point play. The Smoky Bears would go on to score the final 13 points of the game, taking down the Trojans 57-43.

With the loss, Morristown West will play Jefferson County in the consolation game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Sevier County will play Morristown East in the District 2-4A Championship at 8 p.m.

“We just let it get away from us a little bit,” Morristown West coach Joe Dobyns said. “It was very disappointing. We had chances to cut into it but weren’t able to convert, and we just let it get away from us after that.”

Ownby was the star for Sevier County in the game with 23 points while Caleb Tarwater dropped in 19 points. In the fourth quarter alone, the two combined for 15 of the teams 17 points.

“He (Ownby) does a good job,” Dobyns said. “He’s constantly moving, him and (Caleb) Tarwater both are always moving. You have to be active the whole time because as soon as you fall asleep, they’ll make you pay. He (Ownby) made some tough shots, but we sometimes didn’t keep our feet and that gave him a good look.”

On Morristown West’s side, Rylin King led the way with 16 points. King was especially big in the second quarter, cutting a seven-point Sevier County lead down with six straight points.

“He was aggressive in the paint, getting some shots and rebounds for us,” Dobyns said. “He got some good looks in the paint. We need all our bigs to get those shots because that’s an advantage right there.”

Other scorers in the game for West were Tory House with eight, Bricyn Gudger with six, Jalen McCullough with four, Ty Steisslinger with three, Bereket Evans with three and Alban Oruglica with three.

It was all Sevier County to start as they scored eight of the first 10 points to lead 8-2. King stopped the bleeding with a bucket, but the Smoky Bear scored four more to lead 12-4. After Steisslinger and Bryce Sineath traded 3-pointers, McCullough scored the final basket of the quarter to cut the Sevier County lead to 17-9.

Sevier County made two free throws to start the second quarter, but Evans and Oruglica knocked down 3-pointers to make it 19-15. Ownby ended the run with a 3-pointer to up the lead to seven before King scored six with a Sevier County basket sandwiched in between that made it 22-19.

However, Ownby knocked down another three to push the lead back to six. West outscored Sevier County 4-3 in the final minute and a half of the half, but the Smoky Bears led 28-23.

In the third, the Smoky Bears continued to hold a steady lead until back-to-back buckets by House made it 34-31. The two teams traded buckets the rest of the way, and Sevier County led 40-35 going to the fourth.

The two teams traded buckets again to start the fourth before Sevier County scored to make it a seven-point game at 44-37. Following a timeout, West came out firing and scored six straight to make it a 44-43 game with 4:02 to go

Unfortunately for West, that would be the final time they scored as Ownby knocked down a 3-point play and free throws down the stretch gave the Smoky Bears a 57-43 win.

For Morristown West, they now have a quick turnaround as they take on Jeff County on Saturday. Fortunately for both teams, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in District 1, Dobyns Bennett and David Crockett, lost in the semifinals of their district tournament, opening the door for West and Jeff County to play the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, West Ridge and Daniel Boone, in the opening round of the Region 1-4A Tournament next Saturday.

Despite that good news, Dobyns is making sure his team is focused on Saturday’s game and the chance to make a little history.

“Regardless of who we play from District 1, we have to find a way to get it done on Saturday,” Dobyns said. “We have to find a way to change history. It’s been since 2010 that Morristown West has finished better than fourth. Regardless of who we play from Region 1, we’re playing on Saturday to change some things and try and get the program going in the positive direction.”