By JAMES BROWN
WCLU Sports
Tate Spillman scored more than half his team’s first-half points, and led Barren County over Glasgow, 66-53, in the Boys’ 15th District Tournament title game Friday night.
The senior guard scored 19 of his team’s 33 points in the first half as the Trojans led the Scotties, 33-22, at the break.
“Tate kind of got it going there from the perimeter,” Barren County head coach Warren Cunningham said. “It’s contagious, too. When he’s making shots, it helps with everybody else making shots.”
Barren made six 3-pointers in the first half. Spillman nailed four of them, including a four-point play with 3:30 left in the second quarter. That score was the beginning of a 13-3 run on which the Trojans closed the first half.
“We gave up some easy baskets. They got going early…, and when they get going in their home gym, they are hard to beat,” Glasgow head coach Brandon Stockton said. “We just never got those stops we needed to take the air out of it.”
Glasgow grabbed the early lead in the game with baskets by Josiah Driver, Jaylen Bradley and Landon Minton. Barren only managed to score at the foul line in the first four and a half minutes of the contest, and the Scotties led 8-4.
Spillman’s first 3-pointer came with 3:09 on the clock and cut the lead to 8-7. Bradley answered with a basket and made free throw, then Jerrick Martin scored inside to push the lead to 13-7.
Spillman’s second 3 hit with 1:40 left in the opening frame. He added a free throw and a layup sandwiched around a jumper by Martin, and Glasgow led 15-13 at the end of the first period.
The Trojans opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run to take a 20-17 lead with 4:11 left in the first half. Minton scored for Glasgow before Spillman was fouled on a made 3-pointer with 3:30 showing in the second quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Bradley to open the third period cut the Trojans’ lead to 33-27. Barren maintained at least a six-point led until Glasgow put together a rally in the fourth quarter.
The Trojans were ahead 51-41 with 4:23 to go in the game. Martin sparked a run with an offensive rebound putback. Minton scored inside and was fouled 19 seconds later. He missed the free throw, but Colby Brewster crashed the board and scored to cut the deficit to four points, 51-47, with 3:33 to go in the game.
But, at the other end, Kade Hardy got loose and nailed a 3 to quell the rally. From there, Barren finished the game on a 12-6 run to secure the 66-53 win.
The Trojans bounced back from losing to the Scotties last year in the district title game. Barren County (19-12) and Glasgow (5-21) each qualified for the Boys’ Fourth Region Tournament that begins March 10 at WKU’s E.A. Diddle Arena.
SCORING
Barren County
Spillman, 27; Decker, 12; Hardy, 8; Brey Bewley, 6; Jackson Reece, 4; Waylon Clemmons, 3; Gavin Nunn, 2; Ben Blackburn, 2; Will Broady Spillman, 2.
Glasgow
Bradley, 17; Martin, 12; Minton, 10; Josiah Driver, 10; Brewster, 2; Grayson Bartley, 2.
