Melodie Phelps, News Editor
Monticello — The Wayne County Cardinals met McCreary Central in the championship game
of the 48th District Tournament on Friday, February 26 at Southwestern High
School. The Cards advanced to the title game with a hard-fought win over
host school Southwestern earlier in the week. McCreary Central, who entered
as the top seed in the district, handled Monticello in their opening round
contest.
This game marked the 86th meeting between the two schools, with Wayne
County leading the series with a 59-27 record. The Raiders won the regular
season matchup between the two teams 76-54.
In last week's tournament game, Wayne County struggled shooting the ball
early and fell behind quickly to a Raiders' squad that showcased why they
are considered to be one of the best in the region. And the Cards never
really got back on track, as the shots continued to roll off the rim.
The Raiders earned a 57-35 win and their second consecutive district
title.
"It was a tough night shooting the basketball. It's hard to win shooting
24 percent from the field and 11 percent from three," said Wayne County
coach Rodney Woods. "McCreary Central is a very good team."
The Cardinals struggled early in the first quarter to put any points on
the board, as the Raiders rolled out to a quick 9-1 advantage. McCreary
Central led 16-7 at the stop.
The second quarter didn't look much better for Wayne County, as the
Cards scored only 8 points and trailed 29-15 at the half. The Raiders, who
hit 8 3-pointers in the game, continued to keep things out of reach for
Wayne County. They were up 39-26 at the end of the third quarter and
finished with the 22 point victory.
The Cards were led by Austin Shearer with 12 points. With that
performance, Shearer surpassed the 1,200 career point mark. Gavin Dunagan
finished with 8 points and led Wayne County in rebounding with 14. He also
led the Cards in steals with 4.
Freshman Landry Woods led Wayne County in assists with 3.
Wayne County hit 12 of 49 from the field for 24 percent. They were 2 of
17 from the 3-point line for 11 percent. The Cards were 9 of 10 from the
free throw line for 90 percent.
The Raiders were led by Aaron Watts with a game-high 25 points. Watts
was also selected as the Most Valuable Player of the 48th District
Tournament.
The Raiders hit 20 of 43 from the field for 46 percent. They were 8 of
16 on 3-pointers for 50 percent and 9 of 14 from the free throw line for 64
percent.
McCreary Central out rebounded Wayne County 36-27. The Cards committed
11 turnovers, compared to 12 for the Raiders.
With the loss, Wayne County drops to 19-11 on the season. McCreary
Central improved to 24-6.
Next up for the Cards was a first round game in the 12th Region
Tournament against West Jessamine. See next week's edition for game details
