NORTH VERNON
A relentless round of early three pointers helped the Seymour Owls boys basketball team defeat the Jennings County Panthers early and cruise to 68-60 victory Tuesday night at Jennings County.
The Owls were led by senior Ty McCory who had six of the team’s three pointers with five in the first quarter alone. He also scored a career high 27 points to lead the Owls.
Alan Perry added 19 points for the Owls.
Owls coach Tyler Phillips said that kind of performance helps the team generate momentum and build a lead.
“If he doesn’t shoot the ball like that, then we don’t win this game,” he said. “Give credit to his teammates because they’re getting him open, but if he gets his feet set and it doesn’t go in, we’re surprised.”
McCory also credited his teammates for getting him the ball when they sensed he had a hot hand.
“Alan and Eddie were getting me the ball and they knew I was on it,” he said, adding he routinely practices the threes. “They kept feeding me the ball and they kept going in.”
The Owls got things going quickly beyond the arc as they converted three pointers on their first six possessions. McCory had five while Zach Moore had the other.
The burst gave the Owls an early 18-7 lead.
Perry also scored for the Owls to round out the quarter to give the Owls a 21-8 advantage after the first quarter.
The continued a three-point surge in the second quarter as Max Otte hit two from beyond the arc and McCory added another.
The Panthers were not able to establish much of a flow in the first part of the second quarter and the Owls took advantage. The Owls went on a 7-0 run when the Panthers were able to answer with a basket and a three to bring the score 31-15.
The Panthers then were called with a violation of having six players on the court. McCory made both free throws and then made a basket. Perry added another and the Owls were ahead 37-15.
That was the last the Owls would score in the half, but they went into the locker room with a 37-21 lead.
The Owls came out flat in the third quarter and allowed the Panthers to come within reaching distance of changing the outcome of the game.
The team only put up five points in the third quarter to the Panthers’ 16 to bring the score 42-37 in favor of the Owls.
The Panthers were led by Aaron Martin who scored seven points in the quarter.
Perry went 2-4 from the line in the quarter and McCory made a three to give the Owls their five points in the quarter.
“We didn’t shoot the ball in the third quarter like we did all night,” Phillips said. “We shot it lights out in the first half and we just missed those shots and our defense got undisciplined.”
The Owls were able to bounce back and seal the victory in high-scoring fourth quarter for both teams.
The Owls outscored the Panthers 26-23, in the closing quarter, using a late surge to secure the win.
Early in the quarter the Panthers were able to bring the game to 46-45, but the Owls made a run and a series of turnovers for the Panthers quickly saw any progress they made evaporate and the Owls took a 58-47 lead. Both teams exchanged baskets and the Owls went on a few runs before time ran out for the Panthers.
Phillips said he feels great about the way his team is playing at this point in the season.
“I feel pretty good about how we’re playing,” he said. “This is the point where you want to start clicking and we beat a 15-3 Salem team and we just won a tough one on the road, so we’re where I want us to be.”