The Edmonson County Wildcats put three players into double figures last Friday night as they handed the Grayson County Cougars a 51-43 loss in Brownsville.
The Wildcats’ two inside men, sophomore Chaz Wilson and junior Mason Pierce, dominated play in the middle and scored 16 and 15 points respectively. Wilson, especially, was a force around the basket, many times flirting with charging calls as he forced his way to the hoop, accumulating foul calls on the Cougar inside men.
Hurting the Cougars was their foul shooting. In a rough-and-tumble game, the Cougars went to the line 33 times, but hit just 19 for 57 percent.
The Cougars were able to gain the early advantage over the Wildcats, closing out the first period with a 7-2 run that gave them a 10-point lead, 18-8 at the start of the second period.
However, the Wildcats opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run that brought them right back into the game, 18-16 with 4:54 left in the first half. In the last four minutes of the half, the Cougars went to the foul line six times, but could only manage to hit three of them., and when the Wildcats scored the last four points of the quarter, they took their first lead of the night, 24-23 heading into the break.
The game stayed close in the third quarter with the Cougars emerging with a two-point lead, 36-34 heading into the fourth quarter. A Q’Daryius McHenry free throw at the 7:16 mark put the Cougars in front by three, 37-34, but the Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run that put them in front to stay, 42-37 with 3:42 left to play.
Nolan Shartzer had an opportunity to tie the score at the 2:58 mark with a pair of free throws, but could hit just one. The Wildcats then closed things out by outscoring the Cougars 9-2.
Junior guard Dalton Decker was the other Wildcat to finish in double figures with 10 points. Shartzer led the Cougars with 15 points and he added three rebounds and three steals. McHenry joined Shartzer in double figures with 12 points and he led the Cougars on the boards with eight rebounds.
Spencer Sharp had eight points, while Josh Embry had seven before fouling out with 4:11 left to play. Matthew Loughran closed out the Cougar scoring with one point.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.c0m
