Coming into the season as the favorite to win the 2nd Region championship this season, it can be expected that the Lyon County Lyons will get most teams’ best shot when they take to the court. Such was definitely the case Tuesday night at Mortons Gap.
The Lyons got big nights from both Travis Perry and Jackson Shoulders, and they needed every bit of what the two could give them. Perry would knock down six straight free throws in the final moments and Jackson Shoulders came up with several key rebounds as the Lyons held off a game effort from the Hopkins County Central Storm 89-78.
The Storm came out looking to force the tempo from the very beginning, which the Lyons did not appear to mind at all, as the two teams cranked it up into overdrive and pushed the ball up and down the court. Both teams had runs in the early going, but neither could take control of the game as the Lyons ended the quarter with a tenuous 22-20 lead.
The second quarter was more of the same. Travis Perry for Lyon County and Marcus Eaves for Hopkins Central put on a show in the second quarter. At times, it almost felt like they were playing a game of one-on-one as they traded big baskets at both ends of the court. The Lyons were able to get to the locker room holding a 45-42 lead at the break. Perry ended the half with 22 points, while Eaves checked in with 17.
With a good crowd for both teams, the atmosphere felt like tournament time as the second half got rolling. The Storm took the lead early in the third quarter, but the swings back-and-forth would continue through the quarter.
What might have been the momentum swing of the night came at the end of the third quarter. With the game tied at 65, Lyon coach Ryan Perry called a timeout with under 10 seconds to go. The Lyons came out of the timeout and set a play for Travis Perry to come clear behind the 3-point line straight away. Perry drilled the shot as the horn sounded to put the Lyons up 68-65, and that appeared to swing things in Lyon County’s direction for good.
Holding the lead early in the fourth quarter, the Lyons slowed the pace down and spread the court, forcing the Storm to abandon a zone that had been fairly effective for them. With the court spread, Jackson Shoulders was able to control the lane and the Lyons were able to draw fouls and knock down their free throws.
Still, the Storm found themselves with the opportunities to be in the game right up until the final moments, but missed free throws and key turnovers would end up costing the Storm down the stretch.
Travis Perry had a huge night for Lyon County, finishing with 43 points. Jackson Shoulders added 25 points and 15 rebounds. Brady Shoulders ended the night with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Marcus Eaves had a monster night for Hopkins Central with 38 points. Wesley Morris chipped in with 14 and Trevor Weldon added 11.
Lyon County ended up shooting 33 of 77 from the field. They struggled from behind the line, knocking down only 4 of 21 shots. They did win the battle of the boards over the Storm 51 to 40.
Lyon County will get back to action Friday when they take on Goodpasture Christian in the Marshall County HoopFest.
LCHS — 22 23 23 21 – 89
HCCHS — 20 22 23 13 – 78
Lyon County (1-0) – Perry 43, J. Shoulders 25, B. Shoulders 10, Bingham 4, Reddick 4, Radivonyk 2, Gilbert 1
Hopkins Central (0-1) – Eaves 38, Morris 14, Weldon 11, Skeen 9, Belt 2, Hall 2, Jones 2
