By JAMES BROWN
WCLU Sports
A 16-0 run by Caverna to open the second half proved to be the difference as the Colonels won at Barren County, 46-36, on Monday night.
The game entered the third quarter tied, 21-21. It exited the period with the Colonels ahead, 40-28.
First-year Caverna coach Josh Pittman said, “We kind of had a come to Jesus meeting [at halftime]. All I wanted them to do was play hard.”
The run started with a 3-pointer by Kenyon Martin with 6:49 showing in the third. Jaylin Craine followed 26 seconds later with a layup, and-1. Cortavian Maxey added a jumper 28 seconds after that, and Barren County coach Warren Cunningham called a time out.
It didn’t slow the run. The Colonels came out of the break and Tyson Martin scored on back-to-back offensive rebound putbacks. Then Craine finished a steal with a layup and Caverna led 35-21 with 4:09 left in the third quarter.
Cunningham called another time out. He said during his postgame interview that his team had its own chances to score during the run, but didn’t.
“To start the third quarter we had some really good looks, wide open threes, jumpers and shots around the basket,” Cunningham said. “We competed. We’ve just got to be way, way better offensively to beat some of the best teams we are going to play.”
Craine scored once more on a jumper before the Trojans broke the run with a offensive rebound and score by Gavin Nunn. The Colonels led 37-23 with 2:55 left in the third period.
The Trojans put together a 7-0 run to get the lead under double digits, 37-28, with 1:47 showing in the third period. They got as close as eight in the fourth quarter, but could not complete a comeback.
Cunningham said his team did the shots it wanted, but that didn’t go in. Part of that, he said, had to do with the defensive ability of the Colonels.
“If you’re going to win the region,… you’re going to play one game out of flow where you don’t [make] shots,” Pittman said. “You’re going to rely on your defense.”
Pittman said,”[Barren] did a good job of slowing us down and I thought their physicality bothered us…, but credit to them, that’s a good basketball team.”
The Trojans fell to 2-1 with the loss. They are back in action tonight against Russellville at home at 7:30.
The Colonels improved to 2-0 with the win. They return to action Friday at home against Green County in an 18th District showdown at 7:15 p.m.
BARREN SCORING
Cameron Pippen, 11; Nunn, 8; Kade Hardy, 5; Jaxson Byrd, 5; Weston Shelton, 3; Ben Blackburn, 2; Carson Browning, 2.
CAVERNA SCORING
Cortavian Maxey, 14; Jaylin Craine, 14; Tyson Martin, 10; Kenyon Martin, 6; Jaycion Graves, 2.
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