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Clinton, Tenn. tops Wayne County 68-61 The Wayne County Cardinals traveled to Clinton (TN) last Saturday night to face the homestanding Dragons. The Cards entered the out-of-state match-up with a 4-10 record and looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Clinton, much like the Cards in a rebuilding mode after a state tournament appearance in 2004, owned an 8-10 mark. The contest marked the fifth meeting ever between the two schools, with Wayne County winning the previous four, including an 83-62 decision in December of 2003. Jonathon Dye scored 20 of his game high 32 points in the decisive second half, as Clinton erased a 26-25 halftime deficit with a 20-8 third quarter run and held on for a 68-61 home win. Dye finished 8 of 15 from the field and shot 14 of 15 from the charity-stripe, which included a 9 of 9 tally in the final quarter. The Dragons shot just 27 percent in the opening half, but converted on 55 percent of their field goal attempts in the final half. Junior forward Dandrus Whitt tallied 17 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, as two different hosts reached double figures. ³We didnıt guard them as well in the second half and committed some turnovers in the third quarter, which gave them some easy baskets. They turned the heat up and we just threw the ball away, which led to some uncontested lay-ups. Our turnovers combined with their offensive rebounds were back-breakers,² said Cards head coach Rodney Woods. Jordan Dixon added 9 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, as seven different Dragons scored in the win. Wayne County, which dropped to 4-11, was led by the play of senior guard Steven Sexton. Sexton netted 22 points with a game high 12 rebounds and 6 assists. The stalwart shot 8 of 17 from the field, which included 5 3-pointers, as the Cards shot 45 percent from behind the arc. Freshman center Cody Decker added 12 points with 7 rebounds and 0 turnovers, as two Cards scored in double-digits. Drew Guffey aided the inside game with 6 points and 6 boards, as both post-players earned the notice of the head coach. ³Cody made some big shots and played pretty well, after a rough start. I also thought Drew had one of his better games. He blocked some shots and was active on the glass with a couple tip-ins,² said Woods. Dustin Wells totaled 9 points and Wesley Dick contributed 6 points, as both players fouled-out in the final quarter. Seven different Cards scored in the contest. Five different Cards scored in the opening frame and the squad made 6 of 16 shots from the field, to take a 15-10 lead. Clinton opened a dismal 4 of 16 from the field and placed four different scorers in the margin in the period. Jonathon Dye led all scorers with 9 points in the second quarter, as the Dragons used a 15-11 run to close their halftime deficit to 26-25. Steven Sexton paced Wayne County with 9 points in the first half. Dye outscored the Cards with 9 points in the third stanza and Clinton forced 8 turnovers, which ignited a 20-8 third quarter run. The Dragons owned a 45-34 lead after three periods, as four different Cards each contributed a basket in the third frame. ³They turned up their pressure and jumped out to a four or five point lead and we answered back and regained the lead, but they came right back. They just killed us on the boards and our turnovers were huge,² said Woods. Steven Sexton netted 11 points in the final quarter and Dustin Wells added 7, but it wasnıt enough as Clinton held on for a 68-61 win. The Dragons made 15 of 19 free throws, down the stretch as the hosts improved to 9-10 on the season. ³We had some chances late, but we missed a couple of box-outs and they made us pay,² said Woods. Clinton owned a 38-35 rebound advantage, which included a 17-11 tally on the offensive end. The winners shot 20 of 53 overall for 38 percent and tallied on 3 of 15 3-pointers for 20 percent. The Dragons made 25 of 36 free throws for 69 percent and totaled 10 steals with 8 assists against 13 turnovers. Wayne County finished 22 of 51 overall for 43 percent and made 9 of 20 from 3-point range for 45 percent. The squad tallied on 8 of 14 free throws for 57 percent and totaled 14 assists, 6 steals and 19 turnovers. ³When we shoot the ball pretty well our turnovers are a real key and we turned it over too much. It sounds like a broken record, but turnovers and rebounding are two areas that must improve,² said Woods. The win marked Clintonıs first in the series and improved the Dragons to 1-4 all-time against the Cards. Up next for Wayne County is a Tuesday night road trip to McCreary Central and a Friday night home date with 13th Region foe Corbin. Add a comment |
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