By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
In a game defined by alternating scoring runs, Montgomery County made the final one to defeat Campbell County, 91-71, in the 10th Region boys basketball semifinals on Monday at Mason County Fieldhouse.
Montgomery County outscored the Camels, 21-8, in the final four minutes to stay in the hunt for a second straight region title. The Cardinals will play George Rogers Clark in a title game rematch at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Campbell County went on a 10-2 run to open up a 28-16 lead in the second quarter. But Montgomery County responded with a 17-4 spurt and was ahead, 33-32, at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Cardinals nailed 3-point shots on five straight possessions during a surge that opened up a 62-45 lead. But the Camels got back in the game with an 18-8 spurt that cut it to 70-63.
That’s when Montgomery County delivered the knockout punch with its 21-8 final scoring flurry.
The Indians were 12-of-23 from 3-point range and had a 36-15 scoring advantage from behind the arc.
They shot 60.4 percent (32 of 53) overall compared to Campbell County’s 48.4 percent (31 of 64).
Campbell County sophomore forward Austin Davie took game-high scoring honors with 30 points. Junior forward Bradon Elam provided 20 points and nine rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Montgomery County had three players finish with 20 points or more. The leader was sophomore forward Andrew Terry with 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. The Cardinals also got 23 points from junior Tyce Jarvis and 20 from sophomore Austin Sears.
Davie and Elam were the Camels named to the all-tournament team. Davie was also voted 10th Region Player of the Year by the region coaches. His final season averages were 25 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and he shot 56.2 percent (303 of 539) from the field.
CAMPBELL COUNTY 18 14 18 21 — 71
MONTGOMERY COUNTY 14 19 29 29 — 91
CAMPBELL COUNTY (22-10): Davie 13 3 30, Guy 1 0 2, Elam 9 1 20, L. Anthrop 3 0 8, C. Anthrop 1 0 3, Eaton 4 0 8. Totals: 31 4 71.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY (19-12): Sears 6 5 20, Jarvis 9 2 23, Rowlett 4 2 14, Terry 11 4 28, Gentry 1 2 4, Hughes 1 0 2. Totals: 32 15 91.
Three-pointers: CC – L. Anthrop 2, Davie, Elam, C. Anthrop. MC — Rowlett 4, Sears 3, Jarvis 3, Terry 2.
George Rogers Clark 81, Scott 53
There were no surprises in the final stats after George Rogers Clark defeated Scott, 81-53, in a 10th Region boys basketball semifinal game on Monday at Mason County Fieldhouse.
The bigger, stronger GRC team outscored Scott, 24-0, in the paint, won the battle on the boards, 40-17, and blocked five shots while holding the Eagles to 35 percent shooting.
The victory moves the Cardinals (28-4) into the region final for the seventh time in eight years. They will play defending champion Montgomery County in the title game at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
GRC never trailed in the semifinal game. The Cardinals shot 63 percent (17 of 27) in the first half to forge a 41-25 lead. They continued to pull away in the second half by shooting 60.7 percent (17 of 28). The final six minutes were played with a running clock after the margin reached 35 points.
GRC junior forward Montez Gay scored a game-high 24 points with four assists. His senior teammate Amari Bartelsen posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The leading scorers for Scott were freshman guard Benjamin Brown with 18 points and senior guard Jordan Clemons with 16. They made 12 of the Eagles’ 19 field goals, including 7 of the 10 3-pointers, and were both named to the region all-tournament team.
Brown is a transfer student who averaged 22.8 points in 17 games after becoming eligible. The Eagles finished the season with a 16-15 record.
SCOTT 9 16 11 17 — 53
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 17 24 25 15 — 81
SCOTT (16-15): Jordan Clemons 6 0 16, Jon Clemons 1 0 3, Casnellie 1 0 2, Hampton 1 0 2, Brown 6 3 18, Dodd 2 0 6, Hardy 1 0 2, Boyd 0 2 2, Haidinger 1 0 2. Totals: 19 5 53.
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK (28-4): Ashford 4 0 12, Johnson 4 0 9, Gay 9 4 24, Bartelson 6 0 12, Gaines 1 0 2, Thomas 4 1 9, Anthony 1 0 2. Totals: 34 5 81.
Three-pointers: S — Jordan Clemons 4, Brown 3, Dodd 2, Jon Clemons. GRC — Ashford 4, Gay 2, Johnson, Akins.