McCracken County returned to Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena on Friday night to celebrate basketball homecoming and host Graves County. The Mustangs swept the Eagles in the Friday night doubleheader with a 44-35 finish, while the Lady Mustangs defeated Graves County with a 46-27 win.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 44, GRAVES COUNTY 35
The McCracken County Mustangs edged out the Graves County Eagles in the nightcap contest’s 44-35 victory on Friday night. Connor Miller led the charge for the Mustangs, collecting a game-high 15 points in the win.
Despite the loss, Graves County had two athletes in double-digit scoring. Braden Waller finished with a team-high 14 points, while Lukas Pigg finished with 11 for the Eagles.
Most of the contest was back-and-forth between the Eagles and Mustangs, taking shifts in lead changes with overbearing pressure on defense. The Mustangs struck first with a dunk by Jackson Klope, but the Eagles responded quickly. By the end of the quarter, the Mustangs pushed ahead by two points, with tensions building on the court.
The second quarter mainly was defense, as the two teams scored eight combined points. The Eagles outscored McCracken County 5-3 but trailed by one going into halftime with possession for the opening of the second half of the contest. By halftime, McCracken County led 17-16 in the low-scoring affair.
The Mustangs inched ahead in the third quarter after Owen Grogan tied it up at 24-24. From Grogan’s success, McCracken County surged offensively and took advantage of Graves County’s foul trouble throughout the remainder of the contest. In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs outscored Graves County 16-9 to pull the game out of reach with little time left in regulation for the win.
GCHS 11 5 10 9 — 35
MCHS 13 3 11 16 — 44
GCHS: B. Waller 14, L. Pigg 11, B. VeuCasovic 7, R. Mathis 3. FIELD GOALS: 10 (B. Waller 5, L. Pigg 3, B. VeuCasovic 2). 3-POINT FG: 2 (L. Pigg, R. Mathis). FREE THROWS: 9/10. RECORD: 15-6.
MCHS: C. Miller 15, J. Martin 7, G. Parish 7, C. Fulcher 6, J. Klope 6, O. Grogan 3. FIELD GOALS: 13 (C. Miller 4, C. Fulcher 3, O. Grogan 2, G. Parish 2, J. Klope 2). 3-POINT FG: 3 (J. Martin 3, C. Miller). FREE THROWS: 11/16. RECORD: 16-5.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 46, GRAVES COUNTY 27
The Lady Mustangs continued their dominance in the First Region with a 19-point victory over the Graves County Lady Eagles at Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena. Claire Johnson led the charge with 24 points in the win for McCracken County.
In addition to Johnson, Mikee Buchanan finished the contest with double digits, posting 10 for McCracken County. Kinsey Burgess finished with a team-high nine points for Graves County in the loss.
The Lady Mustangs kicked off scoring with a 5-0 run before Graves County’s Hannah Glisson found herself at the free throw line to cut into McCracken County’s lead. Kailee Winfrey added a field goal in the opening quarter, giving the Eagles four points. McCracken County’s defense stunned the Eagles, allowing the Lady Mustang defense to outscore their opponent 19-4.
The second quarter favored the Lady Mustangs, who pushed to a comfortable lead by halftime with Johnson leading all scorers, collecting 20 of McCracken County’s 33 points. Despite a solid first half, the Lady Mustangs allowed the Eagles to post five points in the third quarter.
By the end of the third quarter, the Lady Mustangs held a 37-19 lead over Graves County. However, despite attempts from the Eagles offense, the Lady Mustangs continued to have a comfortable lead through the fourth quarter to give the team win No. 17 this season.
GCHS 4 10 5 8 — 27
MCHS 19 14 4 9 — 46
GCHS: K. Burgess 9, H. Glisson 6, S. Shea 5, M. Alexander 3, E. Kemp 2, K. Winfrey 2. FIELD GOALS: 4 (H. Glisson, K. Winfrey, E. Kemp, S. Shea). 3-POINT FG: 5 (K. Burgess 3, M. Alexander). FREE THROWS: 4/4. RECORD: 10-9.
MCHS: C. Johnson 24, M. Buchanan 10, R. Hill 8, J. Skaggs 4. FIELD GOALS: 11 (C. Johnson 5, M. Buchanan 3, R. Hill 3). 3-POINT FG: 5 (C. Johnson 3, M. Buchanan, J. Skaggs). FREE THROWS: 9/15. RECORD: 17-3.