Mustangs unable to tame Wildcats in non-league loss
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
DODSONVILLE — It was a night of missed opportunities for the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs Tuesday night. Not gaining rebounds, missing shots in the paint and costly turnovers proved to be just too much for the home team to overcome, as they dropped their non-league contest to the Blanchester Wildcats, 70-56.
After playing close to the Wildcats (4-2) in the first half (trailing 35-31 at halftime), the final 16 minutes for LC were enough for them to not lead for the remainder of the game, with BHS increasing their lead to 10 points after the third frame was completed. LC senior Dylan Noll led the Mustangs in scoring with a team-high 18 points, breaking out for 11 in the second frame. Tyler Davidson, a junior, finished with 13 points, and senior Austin Fawley finished with 10.
Even with three players finishing in double figures, it was the Wildcats who broke away in the scoring column, with four players in double figures, including two players with 20 or more points.
Codie Cromer led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, followed by Wildcat teammate JC Luncan with 20, scoring a majority of his points in the paint. Travis Jackson finished with 15 points and Jake Parker with 11.
Cromer made three total 3-pointers in the game, all in the second half. He sank two in the third and one in the fourth quarter, respectively.
But the game between the two non-league opponents was led by the Wildcats, as they began the game quickly on a 7-3 run in the first two minutes of the game.
LC (1-2, 1-5) led just once, with 7:04 left in the first quarter when Davidson nailed a 3-pointer to put the Mustangs up 3-2.
After BHS made the score 4-3 with a fast two-point basket, the Mustangs played catch-up for the rest of the game, unable to regain the lead.
Noll put LC within one point of tying the game with a 3-pointer, followed with a layup later in the same quarter.
Fawley, with 4:16 left in the first, made two free throws, and with 1:45 Dallas Puckett converted a turnover into two points, bringing the Mustangs within four points of the BHS lead at 18-14. With 8.7 left in the first, Fawley sank a 3-point basket, cutting the BHS lead to 22-20.
In the second frame, BHS had a 9-1 run of scoring that put them ahead 35-26, but points by Noll and Davidson (a 3-pointer) brought LC back within four points at 35-31 to end the first half.
LC was outscored 19-13 in the third frame as they had four players add points to their total in the eight minutes. Scoring were Wes Pierson, Fawley, Noll and Steven Collins. Noll led LC in the third with nine points.
BHS broke away in the fourth, scoring 16 in the final eight minutes. LC tallied 12 in the same quarter, with Puckett and Davidson making 3-pointers. Pierson, Noll and Collins each added two points in the quarter.
The Mustangs will be back in action on Thursday at Hillsboro High School, facing the McClain Tigers in the 2nd Annual SCOL-SHL Challenge. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. as they are the second game of the day.[[In-content Ad]]
After playing close to the Wildcats (4-2) in the first half (trailing 35-31 at halftime), the final 16 minutes for LC were enough for them to not lead for the remainder of the game, with BHS increasing their lead to 10 points after the third frame was completed. LC senior Dylan Noll led the Mustangs in scoring with a team-high 18 points, breaking out for 11 in the second frame. Tyler Davidson, a junior, finished with 13 points, and senior Austin Fawley finished with 10.
Even with three players finishing in double figures, it was the Wildcats who broke away in the scoring column, with four players in double figures, including two players with 20 or more points.
Codie Cromer led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, followed by Wildcat teammate JC Luncan with 20, scoring a majority of his points in the paint. Travis Jackson finished with 15 points and Jake Parker with 11.
Cromer made three total 3-pointers in the game, all in the second half. He sank two in the third and one in the fourth quarter, respectively.
But the game between the two non-league opponents was led by the Wildcats, as they began the game quickly on a 7-3 run in the first two minutes of the game.
LC (1-2, 1-5) led just once, with 7:04 left in the first quarter when Davidson nailed a 3-pointer to put the Mustangs up 3-2.
After BHS made the score 4-3 with a fast two-point basket, the Mustangs played catch-up for the rest of the game, unable to regain the lead.
Noll put LC within one point of tying the game with a 3-pointer, followed with a layup later in the same quarter.
Fawley, with 4:16 left in the first, made two free throws, and with 1:45 Dallas Puckett converted a turnover into two points, bringing the Mustangs within four points of the BHS lead at 18-14. With 8.7 left in the first, Fawley sank a 3-point basket, cutting the BHS lead to 22-20.
In the second frame, BHS had a 9-1 run of scoring that put them ahead 35-26, but points by Noll and Davidson (a 3-pointer) brought LC back within four points at 35-31 to end the first half.
LC was outscored 19-13 in the third frame as they had four players add points to their total in the eight minutes. Scoring were Wes Pierson, Fawley, Noll and Steven Collins. Noll led LC in the third with nine points.
BHS broke away in the fourth, scoring 16 in the final eight minutes. LC tallied 12 in the same quarter, with Puckett and Davidson making 3-pointers. Pierson, Noll and Collins each added two points in the quarter.
The Mustangs will be back in action on Thursday at Hillsboro High School, facing the McClain Tigers in the 2nd Annual SCOL-SHL Challenge. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. as they are the second game of the day.[[In-content Ad]]