It wasn’t pretty at times, but Daviess County proved they could win in a multitude of ways – outlasting Breckinridge County 53-33 to advance to the 3rd Region Tournament Semi-Finals.
The Fighting Tigers double-teamed Jonathan Moss early, while on offense, they utilized false motions – causing the Panthers to become impatient early. Despite this, the Panthers wore down Breckinridge County, holding them to 11 second-half points.
“We’ve seen a lot of ugly games this past month,” Daviess County Head Coach Neil Hayden said. “Everybody’s junking us, chasing our guys, and so our players have to make some shots. So, they have to relax and play, and we trust our guys to do that.”
Jonah Miller and Jake Flood combined for 11 of the Fighting Tigers’ 13 first-quarter points, but the Panthers took a 14-13 lead in the second behind their starting five’s balanced attack. Moss continued to be surrounded by constant pressure in the second quarter, yet he found ways to slip through the double team.
After attacking the rim for a layup, he hit a three off a screen, finished in the lane, and then pulled up for another three – scoring 10 of his game-high 21 points.
“I thought he took more than one hit and played through it,” Hayden said. “I would like to see him finish with more shots in the lane. I also thought they rushed him a couple times, and I thought he battled through it.”
Out of halftime, the Panthers’ defense overwhelmed Breckinridge County, holding them to seven points in the third quarter and 11 points total in the second half. Watkins led the defensive charge, blocking three shots, recording two steals, and ripping out a plethora of rebounds from his defenders’ hands.
After the game, Hayden lauded his center’s defense, calling him the best defender in the state.
Moss finished with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal, while Watkins recorded a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Acton added eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
Miller led Breckinridge County in scoring with 14 points, Flood added 10 points, and Caleb Board scored five points.
Awaiting the Panthers in the semi-finals on Saturday is Grayson County, whom they narrowly lost to early in the year, 68-64.
“We just have to stay together,” Hayden said. “We are who we are at this point, and our guys know who they are. We are confident in who we are, and we just need to stick to what we are doing.”
