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SCC holds off Liberty Tech 70-58
NEW MADRID -- Foul troubles and a short bench usually spell trouble for any team locked in a tight game. Leave it to Scott County Central to make discouraging odds work for them too.
The defending Class 1 state champions held off Liberty Tech, Tenn., 70-58 in the first game of the Riverbend Classic at New Madrid County Central High School Friday afternoon with their lead returning scorer on and off the bench and an atypical Braves roster of seven players dressed out.
Jeffery Porter, who was Scott Central's second-leading scorer a season ago, picked up his second foul early in the second quarter and sat the rest of the first half. Starter Matthew Blissett was whistled for his fourth foul late in the third quarter with his team clinging to a six-point lead.
Scott Central (1-0) still found ways to gain separation, including an 13-0 run immediately following Porter's second foul. Sophomore Skylar Lemons scored all five of his points during the run and Javonta Daniel added six.
"I was very impressed with that run," Scott Central head coach Frank Staple said, who learned he lost four players from his team just days before their season debut. "Skylar came off the bench and the rest of the guys were able to step up and give us a big lead."
Before Scott Central's run, Liberty Tech had kept pace. There were eight lead changes and one tie in the first half alone. The Braves edged Liberty Tech 14-12 after the first quarter and were looking up at a 19-18 Liberty Tech advantage with 6:30 left in the second quarter after a pair of free throws from Ashton Willis.
A bucket by Daniel, who led the Braves with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, sparked the four-minute run. Scott Central led 33-26 at halftime.
"He's going to have to do that for us all year," Staple said about Daniel. "(Javonta) has gotten a lot better. He had a really good game for us. He got a lot of rebounds and hit some big shots."
Porter picked up his third foul with 7:08 showing in the third quarter and Johnson tied the game at 33-all shortly after. Following two more ties and a bucket by Liberty Tech's DJ Wilkes, who led his team with 22 points, the Crusaders took its first lead since early in the second quarter at 39-37.
Blissett went to the free throw line three consecutive trips right after hitting 3 of 5 including a 3-point play to give the Braves a 41-39 lead. From that point on, Scott Central would not trail again leading 50-43 at the end of the third quarter.
"We made some big plays and hit big shots," Staple said. "We got into a little bit of foul trouble but we have about six guys that can come in and make those types of plays. It was a good win to start the season."
Scott Central played Covington, Tenn., Saturday in their second game of the Riverbend Classic.
| Liberty | 12 | 14 | 17 | 15 | -- | 58 |
| SCC | 14 | 19 | 17 | 20 | -- | 70 |
LIBERY TECH (58) -- D. Murry 6, DJ Wilkes 22, Ashton Willis 6, Kayleb Johnson 10, C. Newble 12, Curtis Goyer 2. FG 24 FT 4-4 F 18 (3-pointers: Willis 2, Newble 4. Fouled out: none.)
SCC (70) -- Drake Kesler 10, Jeffery Porter 16, Tre Moore 3, Javonta Daniel 22, Matt Blissett 12, Skylar Lemons 5. FG 26 FT 17-25 F 11. (3-pointers: Lemons 1. Fouled out: none.)