On a fast break, Lemontae Ratcliff attacked the rim and finished through his defender for a layup. Without missing a step, the Daviess County senior quickly ripped the inbound pass out of Apollo’s point guard’s hands, scored the layup, and let out a roar as he stared his defender down.
All night, the Panthers’ defense found ways to energize the team and take over the game, catapulting them to a 74-51 win over the Eagles in a crucial 9th District match.
“I thought our guys did great,” Daviess County Head Coach Neil Hayden said. “They were trying to take some things away, and I thought we stayed aggressive. When we were good tonight, we drove the ball and attacked the paint.”
A close opening quarter quickly turned into a Panthers 21-8 lead, after Davyn Randolph hit a pair of threes and Michael Acton and Jonathan Moss combined for 11 points. Apollo started to cut into the second quarter deficit with a 9-0 run, but Daviess County remained calm and allowed Moss to take over the game.
The senior showcased his versatility throughout the second quarter, hitting a three, scoring from the midrange, and getting downhill to finish in the paint. Despite star center DeAaron Watkins battling first-half foul trouble, Daviess County took a commanding 34-22 lead into halftime.
Watkins returned to the court in the third quarter and scored all six of his points in the second half. He also finished the night with seven rebounds, two blocks, and two assists. Moss continued to torch Apollo down the stretch, hitting a pair of threes and scoring 16 of his 31 points in the second half.
While the offense found its footing in the second half, the Panthers’ defense stifled Apollo throughout the night. They recorded seven steals and two blocks and held Apollo to 44.4% shooting from the floor.
A prolific scorer, Moss flashed his two-way ability, recording five steals. Michael Acton was second on the team in scoring with 17 points, and Randolph finished with eight points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Landon Henning led the way for the Eagles with 17 points, while Kayden Green added 10 points, and Carlos Cruz finished with eight points.
The Panthers return to action Tuesday when they travel to Butler County, and Apollo will be at Owensboro on Monday.
“Were taking things one day at a time,” Hayden said. “This was a good win, but we still have four district games left. We need to make sure were staying the course and doing what we need to do.”
