WILLIAMSBURG — Whitley County’s and Pineville hooked up in a classic 13th Region showdown.
Both teams entered Friday night’s contest with identical 4-1 records, and only one team left with a 5-1 mark, and it turned out to be Whitley County.
The Colonels (5-1) fought back from a 42-37 halftime deficit to pick up an impressive 86-80 win over the Mountain Lions (4-2).
“Another good region win for our guys, especially without the services of Bryce Anderson, who was out sick,” Whitley County coach Eric Swords said. “Total team effort. I thought Evan, Dre and JP really played well offensively. Queener battled on the boards and everyone that got minutes gave us great effort defensively.
“Evan doesn’t get the credit he deserves as one of the top players in the region,” he added. “But proud of how he is playing, and how our team is coming together. That’s the third top 10 region team we have played already, plus going to a tough Wayne County team and playing them to the wire. Our schedule has been challenging and proud of our guys.”
Whitley County outscored Pineville, 22-17, in the third quarter before going on a 27-22 run in the game’s final eight minutes.
Evan Ellis led the Colonels with 24 points while Danny Ellis added 23 points, and Jackson Petrey finished with 22 points. Lucas Queener also scored in double figures, finishing with 11 points.
Ashton Moser continued his impressive play for the Mountain Lions, leading his team with 24 points while Sawyer Thompson added 20 points. Wyatt Caldwell chipped in 11 points while Sam Caldwell finished with 10 points.
