The Muhlenberg County Mustangs used an 11-0 run in the first half to take charge of their 3rd Region Tournament game against Grayson County and went on to eliminate the Cougars by a score of 59-39 Thursday night at the Owensboro Sportscenter.
A lay-up by Cougar senior Nolan Shartzer with 2:45 left in the first period gave the Cougars their only lead of the night at 8-7. The Mustangs then scored the last five points of the period to lead 12-8, then scored the first six points of the second period. The 11-0 run put the Mustangs ahead by 10 points, 18-8 with 5:59 left in the first half. The Mustangs led by 14 points, 26-12 at the half.
An 8-0 Cougar run, including six straight from Shartzer cut the Mustang lead to eight points, 32-24 with 2:45 left in the third quarter, but the Mustangs closed out the period on a 12-2 run to lead by 18 points, 44-26 at the start of the fourth quarter.
A lay-up by Muhlenberg’s Isaac Lovell with 2:25 left gave the Mustangs their largest lead of the night, 23 points at 59-36, but Chandler McCrady buried a three to close out the scoring with 1:46 left to make it a 20-point final margin.
The Mustangs put four players into double figures, led by Lovell, who finished with 13 points. Nash Divine scored 11 points, while Isaac Rose and Cole Vincent had 10 each.
Shartzer led all scorers with 18 points and he added four rebounds, an assist and two steals. Three players, McCrady, Brayden Childress, and Keegan Sharp finished with five points apiece. Dillon Horn, River Blanton and Hunter Tomes all finished with two points to close out the Cougar scoring.
Grayson County finished the season with a record of 10-22.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
