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Rangers pull sweep of Bulldogs

By Allen LaMountain

No, the Unaka Rangers weren’t stranded on Gilligan’s Island in their Watauga Valley Conference match with Hampton Friday night at VanHuss-White Gym, but they faced an “uphill climb” just the same.
Trailing for three quarters of the contest, Unaka (12-8 overall, 4-2 WVC) got the play that turned the tide in its favor when senior Andrew Long stole an inbounds pass from the Bulldogs — and the Rangers pulled out a 68-65 upset to take sole possession of second place and a season sweep of Hampton.
“These kids came into a tough environment and they came in with the right attitude,” stated Rangers head coach Aaron Dugger. “They have been through a lot and for them to come in here and play the way they did speaks volumes. The play Andrew made was huge.
“He’s another one of those guys that accepts his role on the team, and he is a lockdown defender. And anytime we need a big play defensively, he answers the call.”