There was just no denying them. There would be no ‘almost’ this time. The Lyon County Lyons came from behind in the final quarter for the second time in a matter of hours Sunday evening as they ‘gritted’ their way to the school’s first All A Classic state basketball championship by taking down 5th Region champion Caverna 49-46 in the title game at the Owensboro Sportscenter.
The game came just two hours after the Lyons had found a way to come back and knock off Newport in the semifinals, a game played much like the championship contest, with two teams like heavyweight boxers standing in the middle of the ring, taking each other’s best shots.
The title game started off about as badly as it could for the Lyons. Whether it was playing the overtime game in the semifinals just two hours earlier, or the physical play from the Colonels, the Lyons could not seem to get things started in the first eight minutes of the game.
With the game tied at 2-2, Caverna went on a 12-1 run over the rest of the quarter to take a 14-3 lead after one. Isaac Defew was the only Lyon to score in the first eight minutes of the game. Caverna, playing an ‘in your face’ man-to-man defense in the half-court, simply gave the Lyons nothing in the opening quarter. That defense also forced the Lyons into five turnovers early on.
The Colonels also drained a couple of threes on the offensive end as they ran out to the double-digit lead.
Lyon County appeared to steady its footing as the second quarter got started. With the lead still at 11 at 18-7, the Lyons started trying to chip away at the Caverna lead. After being shut out in the first quarter, Bray Kirk and Nolan Coffman combined for 10 points in the second.
The Lyons got to within six points at 19-13, and the margin was still six at the break, barely, at 21-15.
Caverna connected on a three at the horn, or more appropriately, just after the horn. One official initially ruled the basket good, but after an on-court conference with the two other officials of the crew, the basket was waved off, sending the two teams to the locker rooms with Caverna still holding a six-point lead. Caverna ran off a minute and a half leading up to the final shots, and the Lyons got a bit of a rest break as they let the half play out.
Turnovers were a bit factor against the Lyons in the opening half. Lyon County was charged with 12 turnovers in the half to just four for the Colonels.
Whether it was something in the halftime speech from Coach Ryan Perry, or whether it was another ten minutes of rest, the Lyons came out for the second half with some renewed energy, and it paid dividends quickly. Three pointers from Nolan Coffman and Carson Collins, along with three made free throws after Cooper Collins was fouled on a 3-point attempt, were part of a 13-2 run that saw Lyon County come storming back to take a 28-23 lead midway through the third quarter.
With Nolan Coffman and Bray Kirk attacking inside, the Lyons were able to extend the lead to six at 34-28 heading into the fourth quarter. The big problem was that Kirk got a T after scoring a basket down in the lane in the final 30 seconds, and that was his fourth foul.
The Colonels, getting a big-time fourth quarter from Jaylin Craine, opened the final quarter by going on a 10-1 run and taking the momentum and the lead at 38-35. But as they had shown earlier in the day, the Lyons were not going down without a fight.
Getting big minutes from Bray Kirk, the tournament MVP, with four fouls, Lyon County responded with an 8-0 run to go back in front 43-38 with two minutes left in the game. A couple of turnovers allowed Caverna to pull even at 43-43. But the Colonels could not get back to the lead.
Lyon County scored four quick points to go up 47-43 with 37 seconds left. Newport’s Cortayvion Maxey buried a three with 22 seconds left to cut it to 47-46. Lyon County’s defense held after a turnover, and then Bray Kirk made two at the line with 3.7 seconds left to push it out to 49-46. A desperation heave for the Colonels was well off the mark, and the Lyon County celebration was on.
Caverna will not want to look at their free-throw shooting in the final quarter. The Colonels opened the quarter missing six straight free throws, and that allowed Lyon County to make its championship-clinching run.
Lyon County was led by Bray Kirk, who finished with 17 points. Nolan Coffman added 16 points and 9 rebounds. Carson Collins added 7 points while brother Cooper chipped in with 6 points.
Caverna got 19 points from Jaylin Craine, who was the only player in double figures. Gavin Lightning and Cortayvion Maxey ended up with 9 points each.
Telling stats for the game, Lyon County shot 51.7 percent from the field and outrebounded Caverna 30 to 19. Those were key to the Lyons overcoming 18 turnovers for the game.
In addition to tournament MVP Bray Kirk, Lyon County’s Isaac Defew, Nolan Coffman, and Carson Collins made the All-Tournament team.
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