The middle school Lady Cougars dropped a pair of close games Monday evening to the visiting Ohio County Lady Eagles.
The seventh-grade girls trailed by 15 points a little over a minute into the fourth quarter, but pulled back to within two with under a minute to play before falling 40-33.
The eighth-grade girls trailed by seven with 2:30 left to play, but had the chance to tie the game with 11.7 seconds left, but a missed free throw cost them in their 34-33 loss.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
The Lady Cougars got off to a terrible start, giving up the first nine points of the game before Sutten VanMeter hit a lay-up with 1.6 seconds left to trail 9-2 heading into the second period.
The Lady Eagles scored the first four points of the second period to lead by 11 points, 13-2 with 3:10 left in the first half.
The Lady Cougars responded with eight straight points, including two threes by VanMeter to pull to within three points at 13-10. Ohio’s Hannah Warren scored with 1:26 left to give the Lady Eagles a five-point advantage, 15-10 at the half.
Gracie Escue opened the scoring for the Lady Cougars in the third quarter to make it a three-point game again, 15-12, but the Lady Eagles responded with nine unanswered points to take a 12-point lead, 24-12 with 4:06 left. Grayson County trailed by 11 points, 28-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back Ohio County baskets opening the final period gave them their largest lead of the game, 15 points at 32-17.
Grayson County then went on an 11-2 run, including threes from VanMeter, Isabel Blanton and Lily Kate Hill to pull back to within six of the lead, 34-28 with 2:55 left to play.
Ohio’s Emerson Gray hit one-of-two at the line to make it a seven-point game, but VanMeter hit another three with 1:37 left to cut it to four, 35-31.
Isabel Blanton then scored on a put-back basket to cut it to two, 35-33. Blanton was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw.
The Lady Eagles then ran out the clock, scoring the final five points to pull away for the win.
Ohio’s Ella Decker led all scorers with 19 points. VanMeter led the Lady Cougars with 16 points, including four threes, and she also led the team with four steals.
Blanton finished with nine points and pulled down five rebounds. Escue scored four points and also had five rebounds. Hill finished with three points and Kennedi Green had one to complete the scoring.
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
Sydney Perkins’ three-pointer with 32 seconds left pulled the Lady Cougars to within a point of the lead, 7-6 heading into the second period.
Perkins hit two free throws with 35 second left in the half to give the Lady Cougars what turned out to be their only lead of the game, 14-13. Ohio’s Emily Smith hit one-of-two at the line with 4.7 seconds left that tied the score 14-14 at the half.
Grayson County trailed by two, 22-20 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Eagles opened up the final period with a 9-4 run to take their largest lead of the game, seven points at 31-24 with 2:30 left to play.
The Lady Cougars responded with an 8-3 run to pull to within three, 34-31. Addie Bratcher went to the line in the bonus with 22 seconds left and hit the first but missed the second to make it a two-point game, 34-32.
Perkins was fouled with 11.7 seconds left and went to the line with the chance to tie the game. She hit the first shot but missed the second. Perkins had made seven in a row from the line before missing on her eighth try.
The Lady Eagles were then able to run out the clock to hold on for the one-point win.
Perkins led all scorers in the game with 15 points. Hannah Franklin scored eight points, while Milam finished with five and led the Lady Cougars on the glass with five rebounds. Bratcher scored three points and Allie Jennings had two to round out the scoring.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
