The Greenback Cherokees kept things close early, but the Bears pulled away to a blowout win 62-32 Thursday night in Tellico.

"We're inconsistent," Greenback Head Coach Patrick Bethel said of his team.  "One night we're kind of getting where we need to be, then we take a couple of steps backward."
The blowout began Thursday night largely as a result of turnovers and Bethel said of his team's ability to hang onto the basketball: "We've got to be smarter with the ball."

The game started out as a defensive struggle with only 10 points being scored in the opening quarter.  Tyler Bryant and Mykal Titlow were the only 'Kees to score in the opening period as the Cherokees found themselves down 6-4 after one.
The Bears began to open things up in the second quarter as they tallied five straight points before Trey Wheeler hit a pair of free throws to cut the gap to five, at 11-6.

The 'Kees turned the ball over four times the remainder of the half, however, and the Bears responded with a 15-0 run to lead 22-9 at the break.
Trying to fight back to start the third quarter, the 'Kees scored five of the first eight points of the quarter behind a three by Jordan Collis and a mid-range jumper by Titlow.

The game hovered in the 11-14 point range for the next few minutes, but the Bears closed out the third with 10 of 15 points to grab a 42-25 lead heading to the fourth.
They sealed the win at the start of the fourth when they opened the quarter on a 12-3 run to lead 54-28.

Titlow and Michael Kron were the only 'Kees to score in the fourth as Titlow tallied six and Kron scored one.
"We've got to keep working to get where we need to be," Bethel said of his youthful team.
Titlow paced the 'Kees with 18 points.  Gage Ingram led the Bears with 16 points and Josh Stinnett followed with 12.  Cody Atkins also tallied 10 points.

The 'Kees will return to action Tuesday when they travel to Wartburg.  
Game time is set for 8 p.m.