FIRST WIN OF SEASON

 The Whitley County Colonels held off the Barbourville Tigers for their first win of the season Saturday night in the “Wish We Were in Maui Classic” at Lawson Gym, 54-47.

Whitley County seniors Jamie Lebanion, Michael Crawford and Jeremy Daniels took charge early in the game. Daniels hit some big free throws down the stretch that allowed Whitley County to hold on for the win.

Neither team could take control of the game in the first quarter, which ended in an 11-11 tie score. The Colonels took a 9-3 lead but let the Tigers get into the flow of the game and make a run behind Darren Mills.

The Colonels ran off the first ten points of the second quarter and led 21-11 before sophomore Josh Hildebrand scored five minutes into the period. Four different players scored for the Colonels in the 10-0 run. Justin Goins, Shawn Harris, Lebanion and Harris accounted for the ten points. Crawford had five points in the quarter including a three-pointer from the top of the key that gave the Colonels a 26-16 lead.

It looked as if the Colonels were going to blow the game open then Whitley County outscored the Tigers 8-2 in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the second quarter. A steal and basket by Lebanion with 4:29 left in the period had the Colonels ahead 36-21.

Hildebrand and Darren Mills led the Tigers on a comeback that saw Barbourville pull within five at the end of the third quarter, 41-36.

Although Daniels hit three big free throws in the final seconds it was at the line that Whitey County let the Tigers back in the game. Whitley County hit just two-of-13 free throws prior to Daniels heroics.

Crawford put the Colonels ahead, 47-41 with 6:10 left in the quarter but Jordan Akins and Jamie Lebanion hit one-of-six from the line over the next two minutes while Barbourville got a three-point play to pull within four, 48-44. Four misses by Akins and a three-pointer by Hildebrand saw the Tigers get within one, 48-47 at the 1:36 mark.

But, some key rebounds kept Whitley County ahead.

Leading by one, Akins went to the line with 1:00 left and hit the first of two free throws. He missed the second, but Michael Crawford grabbed the rebound for the Colonels. Daniels was fouled and went to the line with :50 left. He put the Colonels ahead 50-47.

Daniels added two free throws with :25 left and a Daniels steal at mid-court led to an easy Crawford basket that put the game away.

“Jamie Lebanion and Michael Crawford had some huge rebounds off missed free throws,” said Whitley County Coach Chris Baker. “They were gigantic.”

“Those two rebounds were the key to the game.”

“We played good defensively,” said Baker. “Dinky (Phipps) had a good plan and they started taking advantage of us when Crawford got into foul trouble.”
“They had a good game and played well,” said Baker. “I thought defensively we did what we had to win.”

Baker was disappointed with his team’s free throw shooting. The Colonels hit 8-of-27 from the line. “It’s frustrating,” he said. “In practice they shoot so well, but again it’s that since growing up. These guys were role players for two or three years, last year that was Ben Prewitt and Mikie Storms shooting those free throws, the year before it was Jordan McCumbers. If you noticed when we started hitting them it was Jeremy Daniels, a senior who stepped up and hit three-out-of-four. It’s just a growing up, learning process.”

“There is one thing that the fans need to remember, this team is still relatively young,” said Baker. “There is a lot of youth right there. There are a lot of role players that are just now starting to step in the spotlight and they have to make these plays.”

Baker and the Colonels would like to thank the following sponsors: Forcht Group of Ky, State Farm, National City Bank, US Gold Realty, Forcht Bank of London, Croley Funeral, Pat White, Jr., Whitley County Judge Executive and Central Automotive.

Whitley Co. 54, Barbourville 47

Barbourville 11    8   17   11- 47

Whitley Co. 11  17   15   11- 54

  Barbourville (47) – Engle 8, Marsee 2, Hildebrand 17, Mills 13, Casey 3, Tye 2, Rudd 2.

  Whitley Co. (54) – Ponder 4, Akins 5, Lebanion 12, Daniels 10, Crawford 11, Harris 6, Petrey 2, Goins 4.