A 10-0 run early in the first period gave the Cougars a lead they would not relinquish last Friday night in the Cougar Den as they routed the Hancock County Hornets 70-51 in the final game of the regular season.
Mason Potts scored for the Hornets at the 7:15 mark of the first period to put them in front 2-0. Back-to-back three-pointers by Keegan Sharp capped a 10-0 Cougar run to put them up 10-2 and they were never headed the rest of the way. They maintained that eight-point advantage, 19-11 heading into the second period.
Sharp’s third three of the night gave the Cougars a 14-point lead, 33-19 with 35 seconds left in the second period, but Hancock’s Kaleb Keown scored on a rebound basket with 10 seconds left to cut the lead to 33-21 at the half.
A Nolan Shartzer lay-in at the 3:06 mark of the third quarter gave the Cougars a 17-point lead, 47-30, but they led by 15 points, 52-37 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The two teams traded baskets throughout the final period before the Cougars scored the final four points to win by 19.
Keown led the Hornets with 15 points, while Devyn Powers finished with 13.
Shartzer led all scorers with 25 points and added three rebounds, three assists and four steals. Sharp hit five three-pointers and finished with 17 points.
Hunter Tomes was the third Cougar in double figures with 11 points and he led the Cougars on the glass with seven rebounds.
River Blanton had his best game of the year with eight points, three rebounds and two assists. Chandler McCrady scored four points, Brayden Childress had three and Nolan Hornbeck closed out the scoring with two points.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@ki105.com
