02-11-2012, 07:45 PM
HARRODSBURG¿â Mercer County made just enough plays down the stretch Friday, getting clutch free throws and timely defense to hold off visiting Garrard County 54-49.
Jordan Duncan scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second half and grabbed seven rebounds for the Titans (8-19), while Russell Sims added 13 points and seven rebounds.
âWe did a better job defensively tonight. We havenât pressed much all year and we felt we could press Garrard a little more,â¿Mercer coach Brian Britt said. âAnd we forced quick shots from them and turned them over.â
Mercer led 38-34 entering the fourth quarter, but Garrard tied things up quickly. Billy Abney was fouled on a layup. He missed the free throw, but Clayton Ray grabbed the round and scored to tie the game 38-all with 7:37 to play.
A bucket inside from Duncan made it 44-38, and Garrard (10-16) had chances to tie it back up, but Markell Hayes and Abney each went 1of 2 at the line to make it 44-40 with 3:18 remaining. Garrard was just 5 of 11 from the line in the quarter and 13 of 25 for the game.
âWe missed 12 free throws and go 0-for-6 from 3-point range. Thatâs part of the ballgame. If you score you can win. If you canât, you wonât,â¿Garrard coach Brandon Cooper said. âAnd we missed some easy shots around the bucket. But we got to the rim, thatâs something that was a little different for us. You can take some positives out of this one and save it.â
Mercer was hitting in the fourth quarter, and sophomore Louis Price had two straight buckets to push the lead back to 48-40 with 2:25 left. Britt said those buckets were big, and was glad to see Price, who was playing his first game since missing four with a concussion and scored six points, play so well.
âHe is an athlete. And heâs just excited to be able to learn the game of basketball, just what a trailer is and what help side is. These are things he wasnât aware of,â¿Britt said of Price, a transfer from Indiana. âAnd heâs been so excited this year to learn the game, because he said itâs going to make him that much better.â
Garrard got within three points twice, but never could take advantage.
Mercer was 4 of 6 shooting in the quarter and made eight of nine free throws. For the game, Mercer was 17 of 20 at the line to offset a 17 of 46 effort from the field, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.
Garrard was just 5 of 13 from the floor in the final quarter and finished 18 of 44. But Cooper praised his teamâs effort.
âWeâve battled long enough, we know weâre in a slump, weâre trying to get out of it,â¿he said. âThe kids worked hard, we played pretty good on defense, had a couple of breakdowns on our help side. But our kids are playing hard right now. I canât really fuss a whole lot.â
Mercer led 25-24 at the half, then Duncan helped stretch that lead in the third quarter.
His bucket inside capped a 7-0 run to open the quarter, and he scored again to make it 34-26. His final points of the quarter came after Josh Stull, who scored 13 for Garrard, had two straight baskets to cut the lead to 36-34. Duncan got another basket in the post to send the Titans to the fourth quarter up 38-34.
âWe told them all year, that we want to get the ball inside,â¿Britt said. âNo, weâre not a big team, but we want to establish the inside presence first. And even if weâre not scoring inside, if we get the ball inside, it opens up the outside that much more.â
Garrard led 7-6 early on a bucket from Duncan, but the Golden Lions got six straight points from Austin Sebastian and a layup from Abney to give them a 14-7 lead after a quarter. Sebastian had 12 points.
A steal and layup from Abney made it 16-12, then Mercer tied it up with buckets from Sims and Marcus Warren. A 3-pointer from the right wing by from Austin Sparrow gave Mercer a 25-22 lead with 55 seconds left, and Micah Miniard scored on a jumper to trim the Mercer lead to one at the half.
Jordan Duncan scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second half and grabbed seven rebounds for the Titans (8-19), while Russell Sims added 13 points and seven rebounds.
âWe did a better job defensively tonight. We havenât pressed much all year and we felt we could press Garrard a little more,â¿Mercer coach Brian Britt said. âAnd we forced quick shots from them and turned them over.â
Mercer led 38-34 entering the fourth quarter, but Garrard tied things up quickly. Billy Abney was fouled on a layup. He missed the free throw, but Clayton Ray grabbed the round and scored to tie the game 38-all with 7:37 to play.
A bucket inside from Duncan made it 44-38, and Garrard (10-16) had chances to tie it back up, but Markell Hayes and Abney each went 1of 2 at the line to make it 44-40 with 3:18 remaining. Garrard was just 5 of 11 from the line in the quarter and 13 of 25 for the game.
âWe missed 12 free throws and go 0-for-6 from 3-point range. Thatâs part of the ballgame. If you score you can win. If you canât, you wonât,â¿Garrard coach Brandon Cooper said. âAnd we missed some easy shots around the bucket. But we got to the rim, thatâs something that was a little different for us. You can take some positives out of this one and save it.â
Mercer was hitting in the fourth quarter, and sophomore Louis Price had two straight buckets to push the lead back to 48-40 with 2:25 left. Britt said those buckets were big, and was glad to see Price, who was playing his first game since missing four with a concussion and scored six points, play so well.
âHe is an athlete. And heâs just excited to be able to learn the game of basketball, just what a trailer is and what help side is. These are things he wasnât aware of,â¿Britt said of Price, a transfer from Indiana. âAnd heâs been so excited this year to learn the game, because he said itâs going to make him that much better.â
Garrard got within three points twice, but never could take advantage.
Mercer was 4 of 6 shooting in the quarter and made eight of nine free throws. For the game, Mercer was 17 of 20 at the line to offset a 17 of 46 effort from the field, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.
Garrard was just 5 of 13 from the floor in the final quarter and finished 18 of 44. But Cooper praised his teamâs effort.
âWeâve battled long enough, we know weâre in a slump, weâre trying to get out of it,â¿he said. âThe kids worked hard, we played pretty good on defense, had a couple of breakdowns on our help side. But our kids are playing hard right now. I canât really fuss a whole lot.â
Mercer led 25-24 at the half, then Duncan helped stretch that lead in the third quarter.
His bucket inside capped a 7-0 run to open the quarter, and he scored again to make it 34-26. His final points of the quarter came after Josh Stull, who scored 13 for Garrard, had two straight baskets to cut the lead to 36-34. Duncan got another basket in the post to send the Titans to the fourth quarter up 38-34.
âWe told them all year, that we want to get the ball inside,â¿Britt said. âNo, weâre not a big team, but we want to establish the inside presence first. And even if weâre not scoring inside, if we get the ball inside, it opens up the outside that much more.â
Garrard led 7-6 early on a bucket from Duncan, but the Golden Lions got six straight points from Austin Sebastian and a layup from Abney to give them a 14-7 lead after a quarter. Sebastian had 12 points.
A steal and layup from Abney made it 16-12, then Mercer tied it up with buckets from Sims and Marcus Warren. A 3-pointer from the right wing by from Austin Sparrow gave Mercer a 25-22 lead with 55 seconds left, and Micah Miniard scored on a jumper to trim the Mercer lead to one at the half.
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