The Todd County Central Rebels went into their Friday evening matchup with Russellville having won their last game against the Trigg County Wildcats.
And for the first time since the 2023-24 season, the Rebels were able to get back-to-back wins, and they did so with a close 55-52 victory over the Panthers.
Connor Holder led the team to a solid start in the first quarter, where they were able to score 16. He scored six points, and that helped the team take a small lead after the first eight minutes.
Russellville’s Jerius Coleman hit three shots from beyond the arc in the period, but after the final one, he received a technical for taunting. This gave the Rebels some momentum and they were able to go up 16-15.
Spencer Pool scored five of the team’s points in the second quarter, but the rest of the team only scored seven combined. That along with 13 from the Panthers led the game to be tied at 28 points apiece at the half.
Up until the final seconds of the third quarter, the Rebels had only scored four point, but a Holder three at the buzzer kept the Russellville lead at just four going into the fourth and final quarter.
Pool had eight points in the fourth on drives to the basket, which led the team in the quarter. And in the final minute of the game, Noah Rager was able to go a perfect four for four from the free throw line to help close out the game and get the Rebels’ second win in a row.
This is now the second straight time that Todd County Central has gotten the best of Russellville, with the Rebels also being able to beat the Panthers on Valentine’s Day last year. And this is absolutely a win the team can be proud of, as Russellville was 13-6 entering Friday’s game.
Pool was able to lead the Rebels in scoring with 13 points, eight of which he got in the fourth with the game on the line. John Ross Cardwell was also able to get into double-digits with 12 points of his own.
The Rebels will be looking for their third win in a row in their next game on Friday, January 30, against Franklin-Simpson on the road. The game is currently scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
