LEXINGTON — It didn’t take Louisville Male long to establish itself as the better team during its UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 first round matchup with Breathitt County on Thursday.
After falling behind seven points during the first quarter, the Bulldogs closed the remainder of the first half off with a 49-15 run that erased any hopes of a Breathitt County win, as Male cruised to Friday’s quarterfinals with a 94-59 win.
The Bulldogs placed five player in double figures with Jack Edelen’s 18 points leading the way. He also finished with four rebounds, and five assists.
Cole Edelen finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and six assists. He was 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Demetris White added 15 points while Jayson Gasaway scored 12 points, and Max against finished with 10 points.
Male connected on 36-of-64 shot attempts, including a 15-of-33 effort from behind the arc.
Luke Bellamy led the Bobcats with 16 points while Austin Sperry finished with 10 points, and Bryce Hoskins added nine points.
Breathitt County finished 22-of-44 from the floor, including a 4-of-12 effort from 3-point range.
Breathitt County came out red-hot, taking a 12-5 lead midway through the first quarter.
Two 3-pointers by Cole Edelen, and a 3-pointer by Gasaway, triggered a 13-2 run that saw Male take an 20-14 edge into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs put the game away in the second quarter, outscoring the Bobcats, 34-13, to take a 54-27 lead into halftime.
Male shot 13-of-17 from the floor in the second quarter, and 20-of-32 in the first half. The Bulldogs were 9-of-18 from 3-point range in the first half, and 6-of-9 in the second quarter.
Gasaway, and Cole Edelen each scored 12 points apiece in the first half while Jack Edelen added 11 points, and White had seven points.
Breathitt County connected on 11-of-20 shot attempts in the first half as Bellamy led the way with 10 points.
Make continued to dominate in the third quarter, and extended its lead to 71-40 entering the final quarter of play.
