Bulldogs sweep Cottonwood

Published 3:00 am Friday, December 18, 2015

BY MICHAEL SHIPMA:

Both Pike County High School basketball teams cruised to home victories over Cottonwood on Thursday.

The Lady Bulldogs (2-4, 0-0 3A, Area 4) used balanced scoring and aggressive defense to take down the Bears, despite getting into foul trouble in the second half. Senior guard Shaquavia McKinney led Pike County with 13 points and eight rebounds, followed by Precious Vaznian who tallied nine.

Pike County raced out to a 14-2 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, as a young Bulldog squad earned its second victory of the season on its home court.

The boy’s team (4-2, 0-0 3A, Area 4) was met with similar success in its match up against the Bears, developing a double-digit lead in the first quarter that it maintained on its way to a 69-33 vitory.

“We really wanted to incorporate our bench going into this game,” said PCHS head coach Gerald Holland. “We only played with eight players due to injuries, so I told our players that we were going to need key minutes off the bench to give ourselves a chance.”

Pike County got off to a hot start on both sides of the ball, resulting on a 19-4 deficit that was in their favor. The Bulldogs turned a planned, aggressive half court trap into fast break points at the other end to help add to their lead. They forced 16 turnovers while only giving up five, keeping the game well out of Cottonwood’s reach.

Senior forward Jerrell Lawson led PCHS with 19 points, followed by senior guards Kamari Jackson and Demari Andrews, who each had 11.

Pike County enjoyed a 34-15 lead at halftime, which they continued to add on to coming out of the locker room. The Bulldogs also maintained their defensive momentum from the first half, holding the visiting Bears to 18 points in the second half.

Senior forward Donavon Bostic led Cottonwood with 10 points, followed by senior forward Daniel Cody who had eight.

Both Pike County teams return to action on Saturday when they take on Goshen at home. Tipoff for the girl’s game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.