GATLINBURG, Tenn. – The Cascade Lady Champions (9-2) outscored the Ridgeview Wolfpack (VA) 17-5 in the fourth quarter en route to a 56-38 win in their first game of the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic on Thursday.

Kaegan Young once again led the way for Cascade, this time with 18 points – shooting 10/12 at the free throw line – despite dealing with foul trouble in the first half. Caroline Parker and Lizzie Keele each chipped in with 14 points apiece while Parker tacked on 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. 

Meanwhile, Kyiah Perry led Ridgeview (1-1) with 11 points to go with nine rebounds, and she was the Wolfpack player to reach double-figures. 

Early on, both teams were deadlocked at 13 after the opening period. Perry scored seven of her 11 points in the first quarter alone, but Keele countered with a pair of three-pointers to lead Cascade. In the second quarter, the Lady Champs outscored Ridgeview, 21-13, to take a 34-26 lead heading into the halftime locker room. Young went 4/4 at the line in the period and tacked on a pair of two-point field goals while Parker nailed one of Cascade’s four made three-pointers and finished with nine points in the period. The Wolfpack’s Kinsley Yates found the range from downtown by hitting a pair of triples to stay within striking distance.

In the third quarter, Cascade produced one of its lowest-scoring quarters of the season, compiling just five points. However, its  defense held Ridgeview to just seven, allowing the Lady Champions to hold a 39-33 lead heading into the final frame. 

In that fourth quarter, six different players registered at least one point for Cascade as they pulled away from the Wolfpack, outscoring Ridgeview by 12 points, 17-5, to reach the final margin of victory. Young scored six of those points while Keele added four, but the bigger story was the Lady Champions suffocating defense. In the second half alone, Cascade shut down Ridgeview, holding the Wolfpack to just 12 points in the final 16 minutes.

Cascade wins its fifth game in a row to improve to 9-2 overall. The Lady Champions are scheduled to take on Johnson Central (KY) at 11 a.m. ET on Friday.