Knox County Boys Win Brashear Consolation

Knox County Boys Win Brashear Consolation

Knox
County (6-12) played a sound overall game, topping a short handed
Atlanta Hornet team by a 79-59 final score in the boy’s consolation
championship game of the 82nd Annual Brashear Tournament.
Justin Reeves dominated the fourth quarter, scoring a game high 29 points.
Royce Poore had another big game, tossing in 20 Knox County points. Brock Couch was in double figures with 12 Eagle points.
Atlanta
(9-10) was without two starters. Seniors Nathaniel Lush and Travis
Miller were involved in an automobile accident at approximately 5PM,
four hours before the February 11 scheduled game time of 9PM.
Hornet
coach and athletic director Jason Daniels told the Edina Sentinel that
Lush was treated and released for minor injuries and Miller walked away
from the crash. Neither student-athlete participated in the consolation
championship game.
“We were meeting before the bus left. The kids
knew they would be all right,” Atlanta coach Jason Daniels said. “I
thought we came out focused and ready to play.”
“They wanted to win this one for them,” Jason Daniels said.
Both
sides had scoring runs, largely fueled by opponent turnovers. Kellen
Gillaspy cleared an offensive rebound, setting up Justin Reeves for a
deuce and a 13-6 Knox County lead with 4:38 showing on the first
quarter clock.
The Hornets made plays in the half court offensive
set and battled back within a 15-14 deficit. Knox County led 21-16
after one period of play. The Hornets cashed in Knox County turnovers
for a 26-22 lead with five minutes to play in the second quarter.
Atlanta
took the ball to the middle and built a 30-24 advantage with 3:26
showing on the second quarter clock. Better Knox County defense caused
Hornet turnovers.
The Eagles went from being down six to up by the
same margin. Brock Couch canned a momentum shifting three ball for a
36-31 KCHS lead with 90 ticks on the first half clock.
Leighton
McCabe knotted the score at 31 with 2:08 to play in the half. McCabe
cashed in an Atlanta turnover for a fast break bucket. A 16-4 Knox
County run helped the Eagles to a 40-34 halftime lead.
Cole Sutton
tossed in a key home run ball followed by Kellen Gillaspy’s acrobatic
field goal for a 48-41 Eagle lead at the 1:45 mark of the quarter.
Atlanta
went to a spread offense and pulled back within a four point deficit
with six minutes remaining in the game. Knox County held a 50-42 three
quarter lead.
The Eagles were able to pull down long rebounds and
run the court. Cole Sutton put an offensive board in the hole for a
58-50 lead with 5:20 remaining in the game. Royce Poore started a
decisive 12-2 Knox County run with a pair of free throws.
Brock
Couch had a big steal, setting up the Sutton put back. Royce Poore
stole a rebound out of the hands of a Hornet player and scored for a
60-50 lead with 4:37 showing on the fourth quarter clock.
Justin
Reeves made a great play under the Eagle basket, scoring on an
offensive put back with 4:20 to play. Knox County went to their three
time all district center in the fourth quarter.
Knox County’s
inside power was a major difference in the game. The Eagles might have
had their best three minutes of the season closing the contest. Justin
Reeves paced the book with 29 Knox County points. Royce Poore tossed in
20 points. Cole Sutton was the third Eagle in double digits with 12
points.
Brock Couch scored eight points. Leighton McCabe and Kellen
Gillaspy scored four points each. Brady James added two Eagle points.