MBB: Dawgs come up short vs. Lions, 63-49
the first half of Friday night's game against Henderson. Allison scored
10 points in the game. (Photo by John Krueger)
CARTHAGE, Tx -- Two struggling teams from District 16-3A squared off here in Bulldog Gymnasium Friday night in an evenly-matched game. The game was still up for grabs until the Lions held the Dawgs to just six points in the third quarter to pull away for a 63-49 victory.
The setback was the eighth straight for Carthage, which dropped to 4-15 on the year, winless in league play with a 0-3 mark. Henderson picked up its first District 16-3A win, improving to 1-2.
Pittsburgh and Spring Hill are both tied for the league's top spot with identical 3-0 records. Gilmer, Gladewater and the Lions are all knotted for third place with 1-2 marks.
Three players from the Carthage squad reached double-digits, led by Meechie Bowman's 12-point output. O'Keeron Rutherford managed 11 points, with Skylar Allison dropping in 10 points, with eight coming in the fourth quarter.
Tee Goree scored six points for CHS, with Tristan Gatlin scoring four, Broc Jemison scoring three, Greg Graves adding two and Stephen Lewis posting one point.
The Lions used a balanced attack, with three Henderson players scoring in double figures. Carson Craig dropped in 14 points, with six of those coming in the decisive third period. Jamal Kind added 11 points and Tre Hollins scored 10 points - all in the opening period.
Conner Dotson added seven points, while Kegan McFarland scored five and McKenna Hunt, Zane Boles and Randy Davis chipped in four points apiece.
Carthage had trouble getting its offense in gear in the opening period, while Hollins landed a trey to help the Lions take a 7-0 lead in the first 2:13 of the game.
Rutherford finally scored on a long pass from Goree on a fastbreak opportunity and Bowman followed that up with a three-pointer to trim the HHS advantage to 10-5. Henderson led 16-9 at the end of the period.
After committing five turnovers in the first quarter, the Lions settled down to commit only three in the second period. That enabled Henderson to score eight points in the paint and take a 27-18 lead into the locker room at the break.
Carthage, which committed seven first-half turnovers, then went ice cold from the field in the third period. The Bulldogs didn't score until the 3:56 mark of the quarter, and by that time they trailed 34-18.
Gatlin landed a pair of long-range jumpers for CHS in the quarter, but Craig scored six and Davis added four more for the Lions as they broke the game open by outscoring the Dawgs 18-6 to take a 45-24 lead into the final period.
Carthage had its biggest quarter in the fourth, scoring 25 points, including 14 points in the paint, but it wasn't enough against Henderson. The Lions used three-pointers from Dotson and Kind to build a 55-28 lead with 5:13 remaining.
The Bulldogs managed to outscore the Lions 18-8 over the final five minutes of the game, but the outcome had long-since been decided.
Carthage will return to action Tuesday night at Gladewater in an 8 p.m. start. The Bulldogs' next home action is Friday against Spring Hill. Both games are District 16-3A matchups.