Wildcats Win! Advance to Elite 8

The Hayden Wildcats are moving on to the Northeast Region Finals for the first time in school history following their 51-49 win over top-ranked Ramsay Friday afternoon in 5A's Sweet 16. Both teams started slow, scoring a combined 12 points in the opening quarter. But, the Wildcats carried an 8-4 lead into the second quarter. In the second, Ramsay scored 16 to Hayden's 14, leaving the Wildcats with just a 2-point advantage at halftime. 
After the break, Ramsay found their groove, scoring 5 points in the first 45 seconds to take the lead. By the middle of the period, the Rams had built a 7 point lead.  Down 27-34, Hayden didn't panic, the Wildcats clawed their way back and entered the final quarter of the game down 39-35. 
With 4 minutes left in the game, Hayden finally jumped back into the lead. They held the Rams to 6 points in the second half of the quarter while they scored 9 down the stretch for the win.
Josh Martin led the Wildcats with 13 points and 8 rebounds. He also had a block. Carson Purkey finished with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, while Jackson Pruett totaled 10 points with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Tucker Hyatt scored 9 points with 8 rebounds and two assists. Both Owen Grill and Jackson Woodard scored 3 points. Grill also finished with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks, while Woodard added 2 rebounds. Mason Glover scored 2 points.
The Wildcats are now 20-16 as they move into AHSAA's 5A round of 8. They'll play Wenonah at 10:45 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at JSU.