Hopkins County Central took on Dawson Springs at home on Tuesday evening looking for their third straight win. Unfortunately for the Panthers they were able to do just that, and they did so with a convincing 85-63 score.
The first couple minutes saw some back and forth between the two teams, but Dawson was eventually able to got a bit of a run and take a 15-6 lead. Hopkins Central’s Blaze Sumner then responded with six straight points to cut it to just three and force a timeout with just under two minutes left to play.
A Samari Pettus layup in the final minute was then able to get the Storm to within one point going into the second.
There was even more back and forth to start the next period, and multiple lead changes to go along with it. But Central was able to go on a run of their own to take as big as a seven point lead midway through the quarter.
The lead stayed at six with two minutes left to play, and a layup from Neilan Bruce made it eight. But Dawson wasn’t going to let the lead grow anymore, and they went on a quick 5-0 run behind an Easton Bourland three and a Jaydon Plunkette floater.
This cut the lead to just three and led to the Storm being up 35-32 going into the locker room at half.
The lead was still at three points halfway through the quarter, but Sumner then hit a three to get it to six. Pettus then took over with six straight points, two of which came from a breakaway dunk. And while they could not keep the lead at 12, the Storm went into the fourth up 57-48.
Dawson was able to string together a few buckets to begin the fourth and final quarter, but Sumner and Davonyae Butcher both hit threes to get the lead to 15. After that the Storm exploded for a 28-point quarter, and this helped them close it out with authority.
Pettus lead the team in scoring with 21 points, and he did so with 13 in the third quarter. Sumner and Devante Jagoe both put up 20, while Butcher also got into double-digits with 16 points and three threes.
The Panthers also had four players score in double-digits, and Cooper Burge led the team with 16 points. Plunkette scored 14 with a couple made shots from beyond the arc, while Bourland and Ethan Slaton each put up 12.
This is now the second time in a row that the Storm have gotten the best of the Panthers, with the previous four games before that going to Dawson Springs.
Hopkins Central will be looking to use that momentum in their next game on Thursday, February 5, against Webster County. That game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Webster County High School.
Dawson will be hoping to snap the losing streak in their next one against McLean County on Friday, February 6. Their game will start at 7:30 p.m. at McLean County High School.
