Melodie Phelps, News Editor
CNHI
1-12-11 — The Wayne County Cardinals competed in the 11th Annual Arbys/KFC Classic hosted by McCreary Central High School December 20-23. Wayne
County won three games during the tourney, but suffered their first
loss of the season.
The Cards emerged from the tournament with a record of 7-1 and
gained some good experience as they prepared for their own Monticello Holiday Banking Classic Tournament, which also featured four games in four days.
"Winning three of four was a very good tournament, but we were
looking for a great week which would have been four of four," said
Wayne County Coach Rodney Woods.
First up for the Cards was a contest with Anderson County on Monday,
December 20. The game marked the second meeting between the two
schools and Wayne County leads the series 2-0.
The Cards took a 48-37 win in this one to improve to 5-0 on the
season. The victory also marked a milestone for Woods, who earned his
700th career win in his 34 year career.
"We prepared for a very deliberate game and I thought we really
played well except for the last two minutes," said Woods. "I was a
little disappointed we were so careless with the ball down the
stretch. Overall, it was a very disciplined effort by the Cards."
Wayne County led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter and 25-16 at
the half. The Cards had pushed the lead to 16, 38-22, in the third
quarter.
The Cards were led by Gavin Dunagan with 15 points. Dunagan was 5 of
7 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line. He also had 2
blocked shots.
Dagan Shelton scored 12 points and Ryan Hopper added 10 points in
the win. Shelton was 4 of 5 from the field and 1 of 1 from the
stripe. He also hit a 3-pointer and led the Cards on the boards with
11 rebounds.
Ryan Hopper led Wayne County in steals with 3, while his brother,
Kyle Hopper, led the team in assists with 6.
For the game, Wayne County hit 16 of 32 for 50 percent from the
field. They were 2 of 7 from beyond the arc for 28 percent and 14 of
19 from the free throw line for 73 percent.
The Bearcats hit 15 of 37 from the field for 40 percent. They were 5
of 16 on 3-pointers for 31 percent and 2 of 4 from the free throw
line for 50 percent.
Wayne County outrebounded Anderson County 25-18. The Cards had 11
turnovers compared to 14 for Anderson County.
Next up for Wayne County was a second round matchup with Dyer
County, Tennessee.
Wayne County versus Dyer County, Tenn.
The Cardinals played Dyer County, Tenn. in second round action on
Tuesday, December 21. The contest marked the first time the two
programs have met and Dyer County, Tenn. took the win in this one
83-64. It marked the first loss of the season for the Cards.
"This was a tough loss to handle," said Woods. "We had a chance to
beat a very good basketball team. It was one of those games where you
can beat someone that no one expects you to beat. I thought we had
some great opportunities in the first half to really build a nice
lead but we couldn't get it done."
The Cards led 18-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the
Choctaws scored 20 points in the second quarter to take a 31-24
advantage at the half. Dyer County expanded their lead to 62-46 by
the end of the third quarter and took the win.
The Cardinals were led by Austin Shearer with 23 points. Shearer
went over the 1,300 point mark in his career in his contest.
Gavin Dunagan finished with 20 points in the game.
Wayne County shot 36 percent from the field, hitting 23 of 63. They
were 7 of 23 from beyond the arc for 30 percent and 11 of 21 from the
free throw line for 52 percent.
Dyer County was led by Robert Hubbs with 29 points. The Choctaws hit
34 of 63 from the field for 53 percent. They were 3 of 12 from the
free throw line for 25 percent and 12 of 17 from the charity stripe
for 70 percent.
Dyer County outrebounded the Cards 46-33. Wayne County had 11
turnovers in the game, while Dyer County had 14.
Next up for Wayne County was a Wednesday appointment with Henry
County, as they tried to get back on a winning track.