The Caldwell County Tigers have won back-to-back games for the first time this season after turning back Heritage Christian Academy 63-50 Thursday in the West Kentucky Hoops Classic in Princeton.
The Tigers (3-8) never trailed, opening the game with a 7-2 run and going up by as much as 13 points, 36-23, late in the first half.
A long, running 3-pointer by Jason Leek found the mark at the horn to get the Warriors within 10 at the break.
But HCA (9-7) could not ride that momentum after the intermission.
Instead, Zavy Bumphus opened the second half with a 3-pointer for Caldwell, and the Hopkinsville school could get no closer than six points the rest of the night.
Caldwell took its biggest lead at 63-46 late in the game following two free throws from Demaurius Thompson.
Bumphus finished with a game-high 25 points to power the Tiger victory. He was 10 of 15 from the floor and made three of six 3-point attempts.
JayDarius Wilson had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. He seemed to come up with a big bucket every time HCA tried to make a run in the second half.
Collin Whittington added 10 points for Caldwell.
Leek led Heritage Christian with 22 points. Carlos Robles had 14 points, six rebounds and four steals while Manny Diaz grabbed 10 rebounds to go within six points.
The Tigers shot 53.2 percent from the field, making 25 of 47 attempts. The Warriors were 22 of 51 for 43.1 percent.
It was the first meeting ever between the two schools on the basketball court.
Heritage Christian was a late addition to the West Kentucky Hoops Classic, replacing Biggersville, Miss., which opted out because of the weather.
Heritage Christian 14 12 13 11 — 50
Caldwell County 20 16 15 12 — 63
Heritage Christian Academy (9-7)—Leek 22, Robles 14, Gibson 8, Diaz 6.
Caldwell County (3-8)—Bumphus 25, Wilson 18, Whittington 10, Thompson 5, Hammett 3, Roach 2.
