Apollo grabbed its first win of the season on Thursday and Trinity (Whitesville), Owensboro, Owensboro Catholic also grabbed wins, while Daviess County couldn’t hang on in a loss to Clinton County.
Trinity (Whitesville) vs Carlisle County
The Raiders defense was strong in the opening and closing quarters of their matchup with Carlisle County at the Owensboro Sportscenter on Thursday, helping them close the door on a 57-40 win.
Trinity (Whitesville) got off to a strong start, limiting the Comets to three field goals in the first to take a 15-6 lead going into the second. The Raiders matched their offensive production in the following quarter, helping grow their lead to 30-16 by halftime.
Carlisle County was able to grab 18 points in the third though, helping cut their deficit to single digits at 42-34. But Trinity (Whitesville) was strong at the charity stripe in the fourth, getting 11 of its 15 points there to help secure the 57-40 win and move to 1-1 in the Independence Bank Classic.
Senior Landon Smith led the way with 12 points, while seniors Nick Goetz (11) and Nate Hernandez (10) both finished in double figures and seniors Landon Huff and Nolan Mills chipped in nine points each. The Raiders sit at 6-4 overall with the win, now facing a short break before taking on Muhlenberg County at home at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Owensboro vs McLean County
The Red Devils were consistent on both ends of the floor throughout the night Thursday, defeating McLean County 76-54.
After taking a 16-12 lead following the first quarter, Owensboro was able to hold the Cougars to single digits in the second. Meanwhile, senior Kenyatta Carbon led the offense with 11 of the team’s points in the quarter to give them a 34-21 lead going into the locker room.
The Red Devils didn’t skip a beat in the third either, outscoring McLean County to grow its lead to 53-34 going into the fourth. Owensboro also had its best quarter of the night to close out the game as well, going off for 26 points en route to a 76-54 final.
Carbon led the way once again for the Red Devils with 23 points, while senior Ethan Pendleton finished with 16 points. Owensboro moves to 10-3 overall with the win, now taking its four-game winning streak into a road battle with Breckinridge County at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Apollo vs Allen-County Scottsville
Senior Zjhan Tutt and freshman Kobe Kelly combined for over half of Apollo’s points on Thursday, helping lead them to their first win of the season over Allen County-Scottsville 57-54.
It was the Eagles dynamic duo that helped them to a strong start, as Tutt (10) and Kelly (five) combined for all but two points in the first to take a 17-9 lead into the second. Apollo was only able to grab three buckets and two free throws in the following quarter though, as the Patriots claimed a 26-25 lead going into halftime.
The Eagles offensive woes continued in the third, as they were held to 11 points but were still within distance with a 39-36 deficit. In the fourth Tutt and Kelly took over once again, as they grabbed nine and eight points respectively to help grab the lead late and hang on for the 57-54 win.
Tutt led all scorers with 26 points on the night, while Kelly was the only other Apollo player with more than five points at 18 total. The Eagles are now 1-9 on the 2022-23 campaign, as they will look to grab another one when they take on Butler County on the road at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Daviess County vs Clinton County
Daviess County fell in its second straight game of the Owensboro Health Holiday Classic, as a rough fourth quarter was their downfall in a 53-51 loss to Clinton County on Thursday.
Trailing 14-12 following the first quarter, the Panthers were able to hold the Bulldogs to single digits while using some proficient shooting from deep to take a 26-21 lead into halftime. Daviess County followed up three triples with three more in the third, coming out of the locker room and building its lead to 42-34 going into the fourth.
The Panthers didn’t have an answer on either end of the floor in the fourth though, as they were held to single digits while Clinton County had its strongest quarter of the night with 19 points to complete a 53-51 comeback win.
Junior Gage Phelps was the only player to score more than nine points in the contest for Daviess County, leading the way with 15 points. The Panthers will look to bounce back in its final game of the holiday tournament on Friday, taking on Bullitt Central at 1 p.m.
Owensboro Catholic vs Edmonson County
Owensboro Catholic’s upperclassmen led the charge on Thursday, sparking the offense while stifling Edmonson County throughout a 57-39 win.
The Aces narrowly trailed 13-12 following the first quarter, but were able to hold the Wildcats to single digits in the second and grab a 22-21 lead going into the locker room. In the second half Owensboro Catholic had total control of the game, holding Edmonson County to 18 points while getting plenty of production offensively en route to the 57-39 win.
Free-throw shooting played a key part in the victory for the Aces, hitting 19-25 as a team. Senior Brian Griffith led the way with 19 points for Owensboro Catholic, while junior Tutt Carrico had 17 and senior Parker Gray had 13.
With back-to-back wins in the Independence Bank Classic, the Aces sit at 10-1 overall going into a road matchup with Meade County at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7.
