The Dawson County Middle School seventh grade boys basketball team has played extremely well since the Christmas break.

Head Coach Steven Moates’ team has won two of its last three games. The Tigers posted wins over Riverview Middle School and Clear Creek Middle School before losing in overtime to Pickens County Middle School last week.

The Tigers had to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit against Pickens.

Tiger Matthew Hamil nailed a 3-point shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. It was Hamil’s only points in the contest, but what an exciting shot.

Dawson had to fight in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points in the quarter to get back in the game.

Despite the strong comeback, Dawson fell in overtime after getting outscored by four points.

Ross Walters led all Tigers with 13 points, followed by Jackson Morgan, J.T. Eggert and Taylor Gaddis with six points each.

“The guys have played hard all year and this was no exception,” said Moates. “It’s a tough loss, but we have to get over it quickly with the tournament just around the corner.”

In a game that had been previously rescheduled due to weather, the Tigers played cross-county rival Riverview Middle School.

Jackson Morgan hit a free throw with .3 seconds left in the game to win the contest, 38-37.

Riverview fought hard against the Tigers and overcame a 12-point deficit to tie the game 37-37 before Morgan’s game-winning free throw.

JT Eggert had a great game offensively for the Tigers, scoring 24 points. Ross Walters added seven points; Taylor Gaddis scored four points and Morgan contributed three points in the win.

Against Clear Creek, the Tigers dominated from start to finish and came away with a 31-18 victory.

Ross Walters had a game-high 15 points. JT Eggert added six points, Jackson Morgan contributed five points and Taylor Gaddis added four points.