Great defensive effort propels Cougars past Hancock County, 44-27

bailey-hancock
bailey-hancock

After a low-scoring first half on Senior Night against the visiting Hancock County Hornets, Grayson County’s Cougars held the Hornets to just 11 second-half points and steadily pulled away for a 44-29 victory in their final regular-season game.

The Cougars put three players into double figures against the Hornets. Junior Caleb Ray led all scorers in the game with 15 points, including three shots from behind the arc. Senior Bailey Logsdon, playing his final home game for the Cougars, scored 10 points and led the team on the glass with five rebounds.

Junior Logan Majors also scored 10 points and he added three rebounds and two steals.

The first half was a defensive struggle in which it looked as though the first team to 20 would win the game. The Hornets took the early lead, 7-2 with 1:27 left in the first quarter, but the Cougars pulled back to within two points, 9-7 heading into the second period.

When the Hornets opened with a 7-2 run, they took their largest lead of the night, seven points at 16-9 with 4:53 left. Grayson County then scored the final six points of the half, capped by a Majors three-pointer with 30 seconds left and trailed by just a point, 16-15 at the half.

When junior Josh Embry opened the second half with a lay-in at the 6:36 mark, the Cougars took their first lead of the night, one they would never give back. Grayson County’s defense held the Hornets to just two third-quarter points and when the Co0ugars scored the last six points of the period, their lead had expanded to seven points, 25-18 heading into the final period of play.

The Cougars then put the game out of reach by outscoring the visitors 19-9 to make the game a runaway. Ray scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter to lead the way.

In addition to his points, Ray added three rebounds and two steals.

Embry finished the night with six points, Nolan Shartzer added two and Wyatt Schultz had one to complete the scoring.

Grayson County will be back in action Tuesday night in the 12th District Tournament, which will be held in Whitesville. The Cougars (11-16) will face the Butler County Bears (11-13) in the second game of the evening at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars beat Butler in Morgantown on a last-second shot in overtime, then had to pull away late to win in the Cougar Den.

By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com

 

 

 

 

Caleb Ray shot over Hancock’s Lathan Lamar
in the first half. Ray finished the night with
a game-high 15 points.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cougar defense was tough all night and
held the Hornets to just 11 second-half points.