Barren County pulls past Clinton County in final quarter, winning 86-68
The Barren County Trojans (18-10) defended home court against Clinton County (18-10) in a decisive fourth-quarter victory, 86-68, on Friday night.
The teams matched up well. Judging from the first three quarters, it seemed like the game would go down to the wire. Both teams were making effort plays and feeding their guards for quick buckets.
But, after the Trojans finished the third quarter ahead 57-50, they capitalized on their momentum and ran for the hills in the fourth.
“We played really well, especially offensively,” head coach Warren Cunningham said. “We shared the ball, made passes, we drove it when it was there and we made shots… Our two guards [Brey Bewley and Tate Spillman] are really good.”
A tight first half of action
The opening half, and the first quarter especially, was a game of chess.
Both offensives started hot, with Clinton County’s senior guard Cohen Davis and sophomore forward Jaxson Mason feeding one another to combat Barren County’s Tate Spillman and Graham Hall. The Trojans were successful driving to the rim which allowed them to close the first quarter just ahead at 22-21.
Barren County’s shooters got loose in the second quarter, tallying a couple of threes and mid-range jumpers from Bewley and junior guard Jackson Reece. Clinton County kept up with the pace, though, fighting for those 50-50 balls and scoring off of offensive rebounds.
The first half closed with Barren County leading 37-34.
Barren County pulls away late in the 4th quarter
Barren County came out of the locker room with the first score, but Clinton County still had answers. The Trojans held their lead throughout the third, but the Bulldogs kept up the pace with scores from junior forward Cannon Young and Cohen Davis, who tallied his 1,000th career point during the third quarter.
The Bewley and Spillman duo, though, kept their feet on the gas and executed offensively to allow Barren County to finish the third quarter on top 57-50.
The fourth quarter came down to which team had the momentum and if they were able to capitalize. This was all Barren County. Though it was a close 68-63 with 2:46 left to play, high emotions and pace changes got the best of the Bulldogs, and the remainder of the game consisted of numerous fouls and counted free throws.
22 of Barren County’s 29 total points in the fourth quarter were free throws. The Trojans kept their composure and focused on the basics which allowed them to finish on top 86-68.
Bewley led the Trojans with 24 points, closely followed by Spillman, who tallied 19. In a game of the guards, Coach Cunningham feels good about how his guys are playing as they gear up for post-season play.
“They both do so much for our team,” Cunningham said. “They both handle it, they both shoot it, they guard, and we rely on them for a lot of things.”
Barren County looks ahead to play Taylor County (Feb. 20) and Russell County (Feb. 22) next week to close out the regular season.
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