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Lincoln Co. tops Cards in season opener Shannon Hutchinson Sports Writer The Wayne County Cardinals opened their 2004-2005 season last Friday night at 12th Region rival Lincoln County. The Patriots entered the 35th meeting between the two schools with a 0-1 record and looking to snap a four-game losing streak in the series. The Cards claimed an 89-62 win last December at Cardinal Gym against Lincoln County and entered the match up with a 28 game regular season winning streak against 12th Region foes. Lincoln County used a 15-0 first half run and a very balanced attack to take a 65-50 home win. Matt Reynolds netted 11 points with a game high 12 rebounds and four assists, while the duo of Kelly Reed and reserve Trent Calhoun added 11 and 10 points respectively, as three different Patriots reached double figures. Reserve freshman Braxton Miller totaled 9 points and 5 boards, while Ryan Young contributed 9 points with 3 steals, as nine Patriots scored in the win. ³All the things a coach hopes doesnıt happen in an opening game happened for us. Six of our seven players who played in the first quarter were in the first quarter of a varsity game the first time in their life. Our trio of freshmen that started struggled for three quarters, but I really liked their determination in the fourth quarter. Our team never gave up and you can always build on that,² said Cards head coach Rodney Woods. The Cards were led by the game high 28 points of senior guard Steven Sexton. Sexton shot 8 of 19 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free throw line, plus grabbed 5 rebounds with 3 assists. ³We are depending way too much on Steven. He had a great game, but other people have to step up. There are a thousand things we can improve on and I think this team will try to get better,² said Woods. Senior center Drew Guffey finished with 6 points and a team high 9 rebounds with 3 steals, while Jacob Gregory also totaled 6 points. Cody Decker totaled 8 rebounds with 5 points, while Dustin Wells added 3 points. Sophomore Wesley Dick added 2 points and 3 assists, in a reserve role, while earning the notice of the coach. ³Wesley had his best minutes of the year and we really need him to come on,² said Woods. Five different Patriots scored in the opening quarter as the hosts closed with a 7-0 spurt to take a 13-6 lead. Lincoln County shot 6 of 15 from the field in the period, while the Cards countered with just 3 of 13 shooting from the field. Three different Cards scored in the opening frame. Lincoln Countyıs Trent Calhoun led all players with 9 points in the second quarter, as the Patriots owned a 31-20 halftime lead. Steven Sexton paced the Cards with 8 points in the first half, as the squad shot 32 percent in the opening 16 minutes. The Patriots were just 5 of 14 from the field in the third stanza, but used five different scorers to take a 16-12 period edge and push to a 47-32 lead. Steven Sexton kept the Cards close with 8 more points in the quarter, as Wayne Count shot just 31 percent after intermission. ³We must be able to complete plays on the offensive end. We missed way too many shots in close,² said Woods. Sexton tallied 12 points in the final quarter, as Wayne County rallied to within 9 points at 59-50 and had the basketball, but couldnıt convert as the Patriots held on to claim a 65-50 win. Lincoln County made 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch, to take the win and improve to 1-1 on the season. The Patriots owned a 35-32 rebound edge and shot 22 of 48 overall for 46 percent, while converting on 4 of 14 3-pointers for 29 percent. The hosts made 17 of 22 free throws for 77 percent and finished with 16 turnovers. Wayne County made 16 of 50 shots overall for 32 percent and tallied on 6 of 18 3-pointers for 33 percent. The squad shot 12 of 18 from the free throw line for 67 percent and totaled 9 assists with 6 steals against 18 turnovers. The win improved Lincoln County to 16-19 all-time against Wayne County and snapped the Cards 28 game regular season winning streak against 12th Region foes. Senior Steven Sexton reached an individual milestone in the loss. Sexton moved past Allen Burchett and Jimmy John Owens on the All-Time Cardinal Scoring list and owns the 15th spot. The senior stalwart is now just 8 points away from Hall of Famer William Shearer. Up next for the 0-1 Cards is a three game homestead this week, at Cardinal Gym. Wayne County hosts McCreary Central on Tuesday, Whitley County on Friday and wrap-up the week on Saturday night against Knoxville Catholic. ³We have got to improve and playing at home three in a row will be good for such a young team. These kids will battle, they are really good boys and they will get better,² said Woods. Details on all three games in next weekıs Outlook. Add a comment |
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