A major fourth quarter collapse led to a disappointing 65-62 loss to the visiting Boyle County Rebels on Friday night. Clay County showed so much promise in the first half, but costly turnovers and crucial mistakes led to the demise of the Tigers ultimately.
The first quarter was a dogfight.
Clay and Boyle exchanged blows, with the Tigers gaining the early upper hand with a 12-10 lead after one. Clay opened the 2nd period with a Grayson Hooker three pointer to extend the lead, ramping up the Tiger home crowd. Hayden Harris would follow with a deep three, and suddenly the Tigers seemed to be on a roll. Clay County held Boyle scoreless until the 2:11 mark in the 2nd quarter, when the Rebels finally snagged two free throws. Clay would carry a 29-18 lead into the half.
Scoring leader Hayden Harris (23pts) threw down two massive dunks, then nailed two free throws to push Clay ahead 37-22. Boyle County guard Kason Myers would drill a three to give the Rebels a heartbeat. They would then begin their slow, methodical comeback against the Tigers.
Clay County simply couldn’t stay out of their own way, committing numerous turnovers while making costly mistakes on both ends. Boyle County forced the Tigers into making miscue after miscue, turning into transition points for the Rebels. Fast forward to the 5:00 mark in the 4thquarter, and Kason Myers has hit another three to bring Boyle within three points of Clay.
Former Garrard County star Montavius Quisenberry, now Boyle County Rebel, drilled a three after a Boyle timeout to tie the contest 56-56 with 4:36 remaining, and the rest was history. All in all, the Rebels went on tear to outscore the Tigers in the 2nd half, shutting down Clay County in the 4th quarter to hand Clay their 2nd loss of the season.
Clay County: Hayden Harris – 23 points; Landon Dezarn – 11 points; Ethan Jackson – nine points; Aiden Wagers – six points; Elijah Bundy – four points; Grayson Hooker – three points; Connor Gilbert – two points; Tate Rice – one point.
Boyle County: Montavius Quisenberry – 24 points; Kason Myers – 14 points; Sage Dawson – eight points; Avery Bodnew– four points; Jakei Tarter – four points; Jack Little – five points; Brent Christopher – three points; Guy Turwen – two points; Maddox Hager – three points.
