Pattonsburg's boys have been searching for consistency all year, but they have greatly improved on last year's record. After dropping two games the week before to teams they had beaten earlier in the season, they turned around and saved one of their best games for Worth County, overcoming an 11-point deficit and coming back to win 58-55. When the Panthers are on, they have four different players in Gavin Humphrey, Drake Sperry, Brandon Heath, and Reagan Coin who all go off at once. When that happens, they are very hard to guard. In the meantime, Worth County has been searching all year for a third scoring option besides Caleb New and Brock Healy; as a result, they have been playing close games with everyone but have struggled to finish off games.
At first, it looked like things would go the Tigers' way when, for once, they got the kind of help from the supporting cast they were looking for all year. They got five different people in the scoring column and a late burst by Celeb New and an NBA 3-pointer from Brock Healy broke a 10-10 tie and put the Tigers up 17-10 after one.
But Brandon Heath has been the kind of player this year for Pattonsburg who has kept going when everything else has fallen apart for his team. He kept scoring while Worth County was trying to pull away, getting eight straight points for the Panthers at one point. As a result, the Panthers were still in it when Caleb New put together a late scoring burst for the Tigers to put them up 29-20 at the half.
Ryder Smyser scored for the Tigers to put them up 31-20 to start the third quarter but promptly picked up his third foul and sat. Without their best post player, Worth County struggled to contain Pattonsburg defensively, and the supporting cast stepped in for Pattonsburg. The Panthers started beating the Tigers up and down the court, with Drake Sperry hitting a 3-pointer, Gavin Humphrey and Brandon Heath converting fast breaks, and Heath slashing and scoring to make it 33-30. The supporting cast stepped up for Worth County at that point, as Cole Ruby knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 38-30.
Smyser picked up his fourth foul late in the third, but as long as the supporting cast was scoring for the Tigers, they could match Pattonsburg blow for blow. Brock Healy aired one out to Dylan Smith, who scored to put the Tigers back up 45-36. Gavin Humphrey hit two free throws for the Panthers, but Cole Ruby scored for the Tigers to make it 47-38 after three.
But the supporting cast only scored two points for the Tigers in the fourth quarter, and Pattonsburg started coming back as both Gavin Humphrey and Reagan Coin went off in the period, with Humphrey getting 10 in the quarter and Coin adding seven. With Worth County clinging to a 51-49 lead with under four minutes, they felt the loss of Hayden Sanders (ankle); without Hayden in the lineup, they have been turning the ball over a lot more. They proceeded to turn the ball over on four straight possessions as Drake Sperry hit an NBA 3-pointer to put Pattonsburg up 56-52.
Brock Healy finally hit a 3-pointer to make it 56-55 and then blocked Gavin Humphrey from behind to give Worth County a chance, but Caleb New missed a shot and then Reagan Coin hit two free throws to make it 58-55 with 26 seconds left. Brock Healy missed two guarded threes and Caleb New missed one as the Tigers could not get the tying score at the end.
For Worth County, Brock Healy had 20, Caleb New 19, Cole Ruby 8, Dylan Smith 4, and Ryder Smyser 4.
Caleb New had 4 blocks. Dylan Smith and Brock Healy had 1.
Caleb New had 8 boards. Dylan Smith had 7, Brock Healy 6, Ryder Smyser 4, Jordan Dannar 3, and Cole Ruby and Brock Healy 2.
Brock Healy had 6 assists. Cole Ruby had 4, Caleb New, Ryder Smyser, and Brock Healy had 2, and Jordan Dannar had 1.
Caleb New had 6 tips. Brock Healy had 4, and Dylan Smith, Brock Healy, Ryder Smyser, and Cole Ruby had 2.
Caleb New, Brock Healy, and Brayden Combs had 2 steals. Dylan Smith had 1.
For Pattonsburg, getting four people into double figures made all the difference. Gavin Humphrey had 20, Branden Heath 15, Drake Sperry 10, and Reagan Coin 10. Collin Mason had 3.
Drake Sperry had 10 boards. Collin Mason had 6, Gavin Humphrey 5, Reagan Coin 4, and Brandon Heath 2.
Gavin Humphrey and Drake Sperry had 5 assists. Reagan Coin had 4, and Brandon Heath and Collin Mason had 1.
Brandon Heath had 6 tips. Reagan Coin had 4, and Drake Sperry and Collin Mason had 1.
Drake Sperry and Reagan Coin had 3 steals. Gavin Humphrey had 2 and Brandon Heath and Collin Mason had 1.