It was a tale of two halves for Apollo, as the Eagles overcame an inconsistent start to take down Trinity (Whitesville) at home 63-50. Apollo took a slight 24-19 lead into the second quarter, but Trinity’s Grant Howard kept his team in the game by hitting a pair of threes – cutting the lead entering halftime to 35-33.
Apollo spent the second half focusing on the Raiders’ perimeter shooters – an issue that plagued them in the first two quarters. In the first half, Trinity exploded for seven threes, but only hit three for the rest of the game – a turning point in the game.
“I thought our offense was moving well, but we got a little stagnant in the third and the beginning of the fourth quarter,” Trinity (Whitesville) Head Coach Nathan West said.
Held to only two points in the first half, Apollo’s Landon Henning spent the rest of the game utilizing his size. He repeatedly won the battle inside, leading to easy baskets in the paint. He also had a knack for getting to the free throw line, shooting 4-5 in the second half.
“They have a huge size mismatch, so we had a zone option,” West said. “We were forcing guys to push him to certain spots on the floor to make him uncomfortable.”
But it was on the defensive side where he really shined, finishing with a handful of blocks and defensive rebounds.
“He’s incredible and is an incredible kid,” Apollo Head Coach Ryne Tinsley said. “There are some things he needs to learn to be better defensively, but he’s as good as anybody in the state at protecting the rim.
Henning and Sam Butterworth both finished with 12 points, while Tate Powers led the team in scoring with 13 points. Kayden Green scored all 10 of his points in the first half, while Carlos Cruz added nine points, including an impressive fast break dunk.
For the Raiders, Mason Smith and Thomas Payne both had 12 points, while Ian Roby was third on the team in scoring with seven points.
Apollo returns to action on Saturday against Paducah Tilghman when they compete in the Beaver Dam Tourism Classic. The Raiders are off till Friday when they host Butler County.
Daviess County 89, Edmonson County 56
Jonathan Moss scored a game-high 30 points and added 12 assists in the Panthers’ 89-56 win over Edmonson County. Michael Acton added 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block, while Davyn Randolph hit four threes. DeAaron Watkins grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and added six points, while Lemontae Ratcliff finished with 10 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
“Jonathan was really good at finding his shot, and Mike was aggressive on the offensive side as well,” Daviess County Head Coach Neil Hayden said. “Davyn and Kaden were solid by spotting up and making open threes. We still have some things to clean up, but it was a fun home opener.”
Webster County 87, McLean County 84
With a chance to win the game in regulation, Braxton Floyd’s contested shot rimmed out, and Jaelin Groves tip-in attempt was unsuccessful, sending the game to overtime. In the extra period, Layden Bozarth hit a clutch three to send it to double overtime, but the Cougars came up one play short, losing 87-84 to Webster County.
Bozarth led the way with 27 points, while Floyd added 18. Camden Baird and Groves both finished in double digits, scoring 21 and 17 points, respectively.
