GATLINBURG-With their offense faltering down the stretch in a tight game on Monday night the Cosby High Lady Eagles turned to their defense.

Again and again.

Watching their offense commit turnover after turnover, holding onto a tenuous four-point advantage, Cosby got stop after stop down the stretch as they attempted to position themselves for another key early season victory. The Lady Eagles used those stops to hold off a powerful Gatlinburg-Pittman squad and hold on for a 52-43 win.

"Our defense has been our strength all year," Cosby coach Richard Coggins said. "They're doing a lot of this on their own though.

"(Coach) Whaley can tell you - we don't really work a lot on our defense in practice," Coggins said.

"That's more of our girls effort. They just want to win."

For the full story, see the December 11 edition of the Newport Plain Talk.