Seventh-ranked Goshen pounds MCHS, 92-64

By KEVIN PEARCEY

Sports Editor

Three-point shots were at a minimum for the Goshen Eagles on Saturday night against Pike County.

Playing at Troy State’s 5,000-seat Trojan Arena, the seventh-ranked Eagles just couldn’t find the range from behind the arc, dropping a 53-52 decision to their in-county rivals.

Needless to say, a homecoming was just what the doctor ordered.

The Eagles knocked down 13 three-point shots on Tuesday night and cruised to a 92-64 win over visiting Montgomery County out of Ramer.

Senior Averick Rogers, who suffered the most from trey land on Saturday, led the Eagles in scoring with 23 points and five three-pointers.

It was Rogers who fought off a Montgomery County challenge late in the second quarter. Goshen had built a 31-18 lead, courtesy of a 8-2 run, when MCHS’s Thomas Harris hit a two-pointer and Kendrick Jones hit both a two and three-point basket, cutting Goshen’s lead to just six points, 31-25.

Rogers responded with two baseline three-pointers as the Eagles went into the locker room up, 37-27.

Ge-Vonne Cooper started the third quarter by hitting two consecutive three-point shots and Wesley Wright came off the Eagles’ bench to provide a spark from outside as well. Wright scored 11 points in the period, nine from beyond the arc. Goshen closed the third quarter with an 11-2 run and went into the final quarter up 64-46.

A Wright field goal had pushed GHS’s lead out to 16-12 late in the opening quarter. Kendaris Pelton’s two-pointer and Cooper’s two foul shots at the end of the period gave the Eagles a 20-14 advantage.

Montgomery County led just twice in the ball game – on an opening-game three-pointer by Harris and a Michael Green basket one trip later, which gave MCHS a 5-3 advantage.

Pelton scored 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Cooper added 15 and dished out six assists, while Wright had 14 points for Goshen.

Terrance Elder had 16 to lead Montgomery County. Harris scored 14 points and Jones had 10.

Goshen improved to 16-5 overall.

The Lady Eagles used a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a brief lead over Montgomery County, but MCHS pulled it out late in the game, 48-47.

Tyeka Jackson’s five straight points in the the fourth pulled the Lady Eagles

to within one of the lead at the five minute mark, 43-42. Hope Wheeler’s layup a few minutes later gave Goshen a 43-42 lead.

MCHS answered with a score, but Lakesha Cope responded right back with basket to tie the game again at 45-45. Wheeler would hit another field goal on the Eagles’ next trip down the floor to tie the game as well.

One free throw at 1:18 in the fourth provided the margin of victory for Montgomery County.

Ashley Miniard had 16 points for the Lady Eagles and Cope had 12. Jackson scored nine points and Wheeler added eight.

Goshen is next in action at the area tournament in Red Level which starts this weekend.