LONDON — Clay County saved its best basketball for the final eight minutes, rallying from a 12-point deficit to defeat South Laurel 58–53 on Friday night.
Trailing 47–35 entering the fourth quarter, the Tigers outscored the Cardinals 23–6 down the stretch. Clay County sealed the comeback at the free throw line, knocking down 9-of-14 attempts in the final period while Aiden Wagers scored eight points and Adon Grubb added seven.
The game was tight early, tied 10–10 at the end of the first quarter. Clay County carried a slim 25–24 lead into halftime, but South Laurel took control in the third quarter, building a 47–35 advantage.
The Cardinals were fueled by an 11-of-12 showing at the free throw line in the period, with Kaden Taylor scoring eight points and Kaiden McQueen adding seven.
Clay County turned the momentum in the fourth quarter with aggressive play on both ends and timely trips to the stripe.
Wagers led the Tigers with 22 points, while Grubb finished with 14. Maxton Gray added 10 points as Clay County improved its late-game execution.
South Laurel was led by McQueen with 17 points. Taylor finished with 11, and Garrison Brown chipped in nine.
Clay County coach Michael Jones said his team’s resilience made the difference.
“For three quarters, we felt like South just wanted it more,” he said. “They had us playing passive offensively, and defensively on our heels. At halftime, we talked about an adjustment on offense. Our first possession we shoot a layup, obviously that’s not going to happen all the time, but for some reason we had guys zone out and forget what we were trying to look for. I challenged their pride at the end of the third quarter, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way they responded and resilience they showed in the fourth.”
South Laurel coach Jeff Davis credited Clay County while praising his own team’s effort.
“Give Clay County credit, they made the plays they needed to make down the stretch,” he said. “I’m so proud of how our guys played, their effort and execution. We just had a bad stretch where we took some bad shots, rushed so things and missed some defensive assignments. But I’m really proud of how we fought and battled.”
Photos by Tyson Wagers and Breanna Ledington Sizemore
