WILDCAT VICTORY

The Lynn Camp Wildcats got a bit of revenge on the Pineville Mountain Lions Monday night with a 78-68 win at LCHS. The Wildcats had lost to the Lions during the Bowman Memorial Tournament, 56-49.

However, this time Lynn Camp Coach Anthony Pennington wanted his team to gain control of the game with a fast-paced tempo. The Wildcats pushed the ball, but got into some first half foul trouble, allowing Pineville to stick around.

“Pineville is a well-coached basketball team,” Pennington said. “J.D. (Strange) does a good job and they play very hard. We knew they would make adjustments throughout the game.”

“I thought what was really big tonight for us was our bench,” said Pennington. “They really stepped up. I am really proud of two or three kids in particular. I thought Tanner and Jessie Keith off the bench played good for us. They gave us a real boost defensively hustling for on plays for rebounds and loose balls as well as Tyler Falconberry.”

“We played about 11 guys tonight. I think that will bode well for us going into the All “A” Tournament,” said Pennington.

Offensively it was Tyler Wagner and Josh Solis combining for 49 of the 78 points. Wagner topped the scoring for the Wildcats with 26 points including two-second half jams. Solis was consistent with 23 points.

The game was tied twice in the early going before Lynn Camp went on a 5-2 run and took a 16-11 lead in the opening quarter. But, a basket by John Simpson and three-point play by Travis Napier saw the Lions tie the score at the end of quarter 16-16.

The Wildcats (7-6) began to take control of the game in the second period when Solis hit a three-pointer with just over five minutes in the quarter for a 24-19 lead.

Pineville (3-7) battled back and closed the gap to one (28-27) before Solis hit a pair of free throws and a jumper to give the ‘Cats a 32-27 lead. Lynn Camp took a six-point lead to the locker room as Cody Mobley dropped in a basket with five seconds left that gave Lynn Camp a 34-28 lead.

The game still didn’t go to Pennington’s liking, especially with some of his key players with two fouls at the break. “With Pineville it is two different styles of thought,” said Pennington. “They want to have a slow paced game. They want to pack the defensive pressure in and make you make a lot of bad passes and bad shots.”

“They are also going to try to keep the game in the 40s.” he added. “I thought we did a good job throwing over the press and keeping the tempo up. We kept the game ugly at a fast tempo, that’s how we wanted to play.”

“We had key guys like Brad Bargo, Brian Smith and even Tyler Wagner in foul trouble,” said Pennington. “The subs came in right before the half and gave us the largest lead at six points.”

“Hopefully, we’ve learned a lesson,” he added. “We had the big win over Knox Central and then our heads got in the clouds a little bit. We went down to Barbourville thinking we are better that what we are and got beat. I think we bounced back from Friday night’s loss.”

“This is the first time we have had two district wins even when we had those good teams,” Pennington said. “One year we went to the region, we didn’t win a district game and the time we got to the semifinals of the region, we only had one. For us to step up and get two this year was huge.”

Lynn Camp did that by holding off the Lions in the third quarter. Wagner quickly pushed the lead out to eight points to start the period, but the Lions would slice the lead to four (44-40) on a basket by Shawn Madon.

Solis and Wagner pushed the lead out to nine with a 7-2 run. But, three of four free throws by the Lions in the final seven seconds had Pineville within, 53-47 heading into the final period.

The first two baskets of the quarter were by Solis and Wagner, allowing Lynn Camp to take a ten-point (57-47) lead.

Pineville made one last run. With Lynn Camp leading 61-50. Tyler Tuttle hit a basket and Lynn Camp followed with a turnover. To his disliking Bargo picked up his fifth foul and received a technical while exiting the game. The Lions came away with five points as Tuttle hit one of two from the line, Madon made both free throws from the technical and Tuttle scored from close range off the possession.

The Wildcats lead was down to four (61-57) with five minutes remaining.

However, three straight baskets by the Wildcats including a three-pointer by Mobley put the dagger in the heart of the Lions as Lynn Camp led 68-57 with three minutes left in the game.

The Wildcats have completed district-seed play with a 2-1 record. Barbourville is 2-0, Knox Central is 0-1 and Pineville is 0-2.

Lynn Camp 78, Pineville 68

Pineville            16  12  19  21- 68

Lynn Camp            16  18  19  25- 78

   Pineville (78) – Combs 2, Hendrickson 15, Hollinsworth 5, Tuttle 13, Madon 16, Napier 4, Asher 8, Simpson 8.

   Lynn Camp (78) – Bargo 7, Wagner 26, Mobley 14, Smith 6, Solis 23, Falconberry 2.