Knox County Boys Take Consolation Championship

By David Sharp

Knox County expanded an 11-6 first quarter lead with a period closing 9-2 run and went on to a 68-36 victory over Brashear in the 24^th Annual North Shelby Tournament boy’s consolation championship game.

The Eagles stole the basketball 15 times, five by Leighton McCabe in the first quarter.

Knox County (7-6) employed their full court man-to-man pressure defense, causing Tiger turnovers and good scoring chances. Leighton McCabe drove past Brashear standout Hayden Housman for the final points of a 20-8 first quarter score.

Knox County ran the court forging a 33-9 lead with four minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Tigers (2-12) battled back to a 39-18 halftime deficit.

The Eagles’ brand of speed and ball pressure is rarely seen on the Class 1 level. Knox County took up where they left off in the second half.

Kellen Gillaspy finished a fast break off a Leighton McCabe steal and assist for a 48-26 Eagle lead with 3:26 to play in the third quarter.

Jesse Miller gave Knox County a 60-30 advantage with ten seconds to play in the third quarter. “We looked to get it in the middle down low,” Kellen Gillaspy said after a ten point night.

“Why not put the ball in the hole when you have an opening? The best you can do without getting first or third place is get two wins and a trophy.”

Knox County lost to eventual second place finisher North Shelby in the first round. Jeremy Barnes pulled the Tigers back within a 64-36 deficit with two minutes to play in the game.

Brady Johnson completed a Knox County three point play at the 1:03 mark for a 67-36 lead. Joe Englebrecht capped game scoring with a free throw as the running clock expired.

“Their pressure was the difference maker,” Tiger coach Tony Keene said. “Our boys are not used to seeing that kind of speed and ball pressure. They played their guts out last night.”

“We came back less than 24 hours later to do it again. We were worn out,” Coach Keene said of Brashear’s overtime victory over Schuyler County.

“My starters played all 36 minutes last night. They were just dog tired. I think their speed and pressure just took its toll.”

Joe Clarkson scored 17 points leading Brashear. Hayden Housman was in double figures with ten points. Jeremy Barnes put in seven points. Taren Treasure scored six points. Joseph Woods added one Tiger point.

Brashear sank 14 of 18 team free throws for 78%. Royce Poore led all scorers with 19 Knox County points. Leighton McCabe finished with six of his team’s 15 steals and 13 points.

Kellen Gillaspy was in double figures with ten points. Nine different Knox County players scored. Five Tigers dented the scorebook. Knox County went 14 of 21 from the charity stripe for 67%.

Donovan Edwards turned in another strong game with eight Eagle points. Sharri Edwards was 6-8 from the free throw line, finishing with six points. Brady Johnson scored five Eagle points.

Joe Englebrecht scored three points. Jesse Miller and Andrew Hunolt added two points each. “They came off of a big win last night,” Knox County coach Zach Summers said of the Tigers. “It was a late game. We wanted to control the game early.”

“They were riding a high from last night. They didn’t know how tired they were. We wanted to run them up and down and get them out of that emotional high,” Zach Summers said. “We got a little lazy in the second quarter. We kept taking bad angles on defense and putting them on the free throw line.”

Eight of the ten second quarter Brashear points were earned at the free throw line. “We have to be aggressive, but we have to be disciplined,” Zach Summers said.

We weren’t very disciplined on defense in the first half. That led to fouls and putting them on the free throw line.”

“That game is over in the first half if we don’t foul.” Brashear plays at Knox County in January 30 non-conference action.