The middle school Cougars took the trip to Hawesville Monday evening to play a doubleheader against the Hancock County Hornets and rode home with a split of the two games.
The seventh-graders opened up a close game with a 9-0 fourth-quarter run to nip the Hornets 45-43 and move to 7-1 on the season. Nolan Hornbeck had a monster game for the young Cougars as he scored a game-high 27 points and made it a double-double night with 14 rebounds.
The eighth-graders were not so fortunate, though, as the Hornets put three players into double figures as they easily handled the Cougars 70-53. The eighth-graders are now 5-3 for the year.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
The Hornets got off to a quick start, scoring the first seven points of the game, but the Cougars came back and cut the deficit to five, 11-6 heading into the second period.
Dillon Horn scored on a put-back basket with 1:13 left in the second period to give the Cougars their first lead of the night, 20-19. Grayson County led by two, 22-20 at the half.
Neither team led by more than two points in a closely-contested third quarter. There were six ties and two lead changes in the period before it ended with the score knotted 33-33.
Hancock’s Kaleb Keown scored with 4:08 left to play in the final period to give the Hornets a two-point, 37-35 lead. That would turn out to be Hancock’s last lead of the game.
The Cougars responded with nine unanswered points, seven of them coming from Hornbeck, and the Cougars took a seven-point lead, 44-37 with 1:22 remaining to be played.
The Hornets weren’t quite done though. Drew Lyday buried a three with 48 seconds left, then Cole Dixon hit a lay-in with 17 seconds left. Lyday was fouled on the play and his made free throw cut the margin to just a point, 44-43.
River Blanton hit 1-of-2 at the line with 13 seconds left to make it a two-point game. The Hornets had one last opportunity to tie of win the game, but could not get the ball to fall.
Keown led the Hornets with 21 points. Blanton joined Hornbeck in double figures with 12 points. Brayden Renfrow scored four points and led the Cougars with six assists. Horn finished with two points to complete the Cougar scoring.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
Grayson County led just once in this game, early at 3-2 following a Zeb Bratcher lay-in. The Hornets responded with 11 unanswered points and the Cougars were never closer than six points the rest of the game.
The Hornets showed themselves to be a force in the GRVC this season with their aggressive, attack-the-basket style. They got the Cougars down at the start and never let them back into the game.
The Hornets led by 10, 17-7 after one quarter, then increased the lead to 15 points, 32-17 at the half. Grayson County played the Hornets evenly in the second half, but could not overcome the bad start.
Devyn Powers led the Hornets with 19 points, Dalton Flake had 18, and Ryan Ogle tossed in 13.
The Cougars squandered an outstanding performance by Chandler McCrady, who slashed to the hoop time after time for a game-high 24 points. Bratcher hit three-three-pointers and finished with 16 points.
Hunter Tomes scored eight points and led the team on the glass with nine rebounds. Keegan Sharp scored three points and Hornbeck added two to round out the scoring.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at 270-259-6000 or don@k105.com
Nolan Hornbeck scored 27 points and grabbed
14 rebounds in the 7th-grade win.
Dillon Horn went to the basket in
the opening period.
Grayson Payton looked inside during
8th-grade action.
Hunter Meredith put up a shot in the first half.
