Signal Mountain's boys' and girls' basketball teams were tested by Sequoyah on Friday night, but both rallied late to secure Region 3-AA quarterfinal wins at home.
The girls erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter and went on to win 63-60 in overtime.The boys came back for a 44-42 win in regulation.
In the latter matchup, the Eagles trailed until the 4:10 mark of the third period, when they took a 32-31 lead. Signal Mountain was down 26-23 at halftime and traded shots with Sequoyah before cutting the lead to one, forcing a turnover on the ensuing inbound and scoring again for its first lead.
The Eagles took a one-point advantage into the fourth quarter, but it was the Chiefs who came out hot in that period.
"Ugly," Signal Mountain coach Steve Redman said of the win. "It was just frustrating that we weren't doing what we needed to do. I think the moment was a little big and they got a little wide-eyed. They weren't responding well."
Sequoyah quickly jumped back out front with five straight points to open the final period. The Eagles were able to tie it with another pair of baskets before two free throws put the Chiefs back on top.
Signal Mountain knotted it up again at 42-all and got a key rebound to regain possession with less than a minute left. Senior Silvestro Silvestro got the ball in his hands coming out of a timeout and exploded into the lane for the winning layup.
It was a bit of redemption for Silvestro, who battled foul trouble throughout the game and was visibly frustrated when he had to come out.
"He was huge," Redman said. "That's just a senior who doesn't want to lose. It's a little different when your career is on the line. He didn't want it to end."
Silvestro finished with 11 points and was one of two Eagles in double figures. The other was Jarren Radden, who paced his team with 12 points despite a cold shooting start.
Sequoyah had a chance to tie at the end, but the buzzer-beater attempt hit the left side of the rim and bounced out. The Chiefs were led by John Douglas Wiggins, who racked up a game-high 18 points.
"I thought my kids deserved it," Chiefs coach John Wiggins said. "They fought their tails off. Signal made plays down the stretch, and we didn't.
"A big difference was shot selection at the end. They attacked and got to the basket, and we settled a little bit. Getting inside is actually one of our strengths, and I think we got away from it towards the end."
In the girls' game, the Lady Chiefs suffered similar heartbreak. The Lady Eagles closed the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run to force overtime.
Signal Mountain led throughout the game until Sequoyah turned up the pressure and fought back to take a 36-33 lead late in the third quarter on a three-pointer. The Lady Chiefs were sharp from behind the arc, hitting 10 shots there.
Signal Mountain's comeback charge was led by Kendall Davis. She finished with 14 points, including two big shots from long range to bring the Lady Eagles back late in the fourth quarter before hitting another 3-pointer in overtime.
Olivia Koontz was also a big presence with 23 points.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.