Owensboro needed a full team effort to shake a slow start, and Jaiden Greathouse led the way as the Red Devils held off an eager Apollo for a 72-62 road win Friday night.
Greathouse was held scoreless in the first period, but he finished the night with a game-high 23 points. He fueled a 6-0 run late in the second quarter to help the Red Devils (15-9) reclaim a lead before halftime, then effectively help put the game away down the stretch.
The Eagles (3-20) twice got within eight points midway through the fourth quarter, but each time Greathouse got a bucket to go back up by 10. Then with the OHS lead cut to 67-60, he scored on a putback at one end and drew a charge at the other to seal the victory in the final minute.
“Jaiden’s got a knack for basketball,” said Owensboro head coach Rod Drake. “He knows where to go and he beats guys to the spot. It’s a total team effort. He gets those points because other guys do their job.”
It was a bumpy start for the Red Devils, with Apollo using a pesky defense to create scoring opportunities. The Eagles — who have steadily improved but have lost seven straight — led 17-12 after the first quarter.
OHS used a couple of quick scoring bursts to go in front 32-30 by halftime, and they never trailed again.
“We’ve played that way a lot this year,” Drake said of having to fight back. “The good thing for us is we can make adjustments on the fly to get guys in situations where we want to be. We’ve got to be a little more consistent with the basketball. We have to finish the game.”
OHS used a balanced attack in the second half, with six guys scoring in the third quarter and five contributing in the fourth. Kenyata Carbon finished with 13 points and Isaac Humphrey added 10 for OHS.
“I told them the last couple of weeks that it was going to take everybody in the locker room,” Drake said. “Everybody contributed tonight at some point.”
Malik Wilson led Apollo’s effort with 20 points, while Jamen Kinison chipped in 11 and Dan St. Claire had 10.
The Eagles play again Saturday at home against Union County, while the Red Devils are off until Tuesday when they host Bowling Green.
BOX SCORE
OHS 12-20-16-24—72
AHS 17-13-9-23—62
OHS (72): Jaiden Greathouse 23, Kenyata Carbon 13, Isaac Humphrey 10, Reis Dickinson 7, Gavin Wimsatt 6, Tucker Hagan 6, Cayman Powell 5, Trey Hinton 2
AHS (62): Malik Wilson 20, Jamen Kinison 11, Dan St. Claire 10, Ryan Ash 7, Cameron Frantz 6, Landon Hamilton 4, Evan Deaton 2, Harrison Bowman 2
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