The middle school boys basketball teams picked up a pair of tough victories Monday evening at Cougar Gym over the visiting Muhlenberg North Stars.
The seventh-graders got 33 points from guard Taydon Logsdon as they defeated the Stars 58-50. The eighth-graders got double-digit scoring games from three different players as they won 47-44.
SEVENTH-GRADE GAME
Logsdon’s old-fashioned three-point play at the 4:06 mark of the first period gave the seventh-grade Cougars a 7-4 lead and they would never trail again. Logsdon scored 10 points in that first period and Mason Cariel had eight as the Cougars led 18-13 after one period of play.
Grayson County led by as many as eight points in the second period, but led by just three, 33-30 at the halftime intermission.
The Stars’ Madox Jerigan, who led his team with 27 points, buried a three at the start of the third period that tied the score 33-33. That would be the last time the visitors would be close to the lead in the period. The Cougars outscored the Stars 13-3 the rest of the period and led by 10 points, 46-36 headed into the final period of play.
The Stars closed to within three points of the lead twice in the fourth quarter, the last time coming at 51-48 with 1:52 remaining to be played, but the Cougars closed out the game with a 7-2 run to win by eight.
Cariel hit four three-pointers on the night and finished with 17 points. Isiah Poteet added five, Deveron Kirk had two and Houston Brooks added one to complete the scoring
EIGHTH-GRADE GAME
With the game tied at 7-7 at the 1:13 mark of the first period, the Stars went on a 9-2 run to lead by seven points, 16-9 at the 4:58 mark of the second period. The Cougars responded by outscoring Muhlenberg 11-2 to grab a two-point advantage, 20-18 with 13 seconds left in the half. However, North’s Trace Angus drained a three at the buzzer to give his team a 21-20 lead at the break.
The Stars took a six point lead at the start of the third quarter, but the Cougars came back. Trailing by four, 32-28 with 2:02 left in the period, the Cougars put together a 10-0 run to lead by six points, 38-32, heading into the fourth quarter and they were never headed the rest of the way.
Chandler Moore’s runner with 16 seconds left to play pulled the Stars to within a point at 45-44, but two free throws from Nolan Hornback with seven seconds left sealed the deal.
Hornback led all scorers with 13 points, while Dillon Horn had 12 and River Blanton added 10. Michael Wood scored six points, while Taydon Logsdon and Braydon Childress had three apiece to complete the scoring.
By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com
