Knowing his team needed a spark after watching one of their leading scorers Jonathan Moss foul out with about five minutes left, Daviess County’s DeAaron Watkins took it upon himself to close the game out. The big man scored nine of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including going seven for eight at the free throw line to power the Panthers to a 74-71 road win.
But it wasn’t just Watkins who played a pivotal role down the stretch.
“To the players credit, Jaxon Brown, Aydan Ayer, and Kaden Payne were telling the team to keep playing and that they were fine,” Daviess County head coach Neil Hayden said. “They did most of the talking ant that is something you want to see as a coach.”
In front of a packed home crowd, Owensboro jumped out to an early 7-1 lead, forcing the Panthers to take a timeout. After the stoppage in play, Ayer, Moss, Brown, and Watkins each scored to take an 11-7 lead. Yet, feeding off of the buzzing crowd, Owensboro ended the quarter on a 9-3 run to take a 16-14 lead. Michael Acton and Aaron Richardson combined to score 11 of Owensboro’s 16 first-quarter points.
After a second quarter that saw neither team find an edge, Owensboro entered halftime with a two-point lead. Entering the second half, Owensboro’s trio of Acton, Will Hume, and Keaton Hughes take over the game, leading their team to a 17-8 run to take a 46-35 point lead.
Witnessing the game quickly slip from his team’s fingers, Hayden continued to make adjustments, a factor that helped his team storm back.
“We made some shots and I felt we started to share the ball better,” Hayden said. “We picked them up in the full quart to help us get going a little bit more and get some easier baskets. That helped us. As we got into more foul trouble we adjusted some coverages on their guys. Our boys listened and did what we wanted to with those adjustments.”
Trailing by nine with just seconds left in the third, Watkins hit a three at the buzzer, turned to his bench, and let out a roar. Rejuvenated, the Panthers clawed back in the final stretch, retaking the lead halfway through the quarter. Then a potential disaster struck – Moss fouled out, finishing his night with 17 points, four assists, three steals, and two rebounds.
Watkins who was also battling foul trouble, skillfully took over the game, either finding himself at the line or winning the battle on the boards. The last few minutes saw the Panthers continuously go to the free throw line, taking advantage every time. They finished 18 of 21 at the line in the fourth quarter alone – a primary factor in their victory.
In addition to his 24 points, Watkins grabbed 14 rebounds and hit four threes, while Brown finished with 14 points, five assists, and two steals. For Owensboro, Hughes led his team in scoring with 21 points, while Acton added 19.
On Tuesday, Daviess County heads to Evansville for their last game before winter break, while Owensboro faces University Heights later today.
