Tigers edge out Hornets at home

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A surge in the final minutes allowed Crothersville’s boys basketball team to salvage a 54-48 Senior Night victory over intra-county rival Medora on Tuesday night.

Down 44-43 with three minutes remaining, the Tigers got two timely buckets from Beau Napier and clutch foul shooting by Damian Bowman, Adam Turner and Zachary Helt to outscore Medora 11-4 down the stretch.

Tuesday’s win snaps a nine-game losing streak for Crothersville (2-11) while also extending the Tigers’ winning streak over county-rival Medora (3-12) to 11 straight. The last time Medora bested Crothersville was in February of 2016.

Medora, meanwhile, dropped its fourth consecutive game. But Tuesday’s loss couldn’t varnish a monster night by Hornet forward Shepard Earl, who ended the night with 24 points and 18 rebounds, both game highs.

Despite playing most of the second half with four fouls, Earl led Medora on a 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Earl scored eight of those points and lifted the Hornets from a 10-point deficit to a 44-43 lead with 4:05 left in the game.

Napier, however, turned the game’s momentum with a 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup to restore Crothersville’s lead at 48-46 with 1:35 to go.

While Medora’s offense was held scoreless, Bowman, Turner and Helt combined to make five free throws that swelled Crothersville’s lead to 53-46.

Preston West led Crothersville with 15 points, including four 3-pointers. Bowman followed with nine while Turner and Napier each added eight points.

The Tigers celebrated Helt and fellow senior Matt Clouse. Helt ended the night with three points and seven rebounds. Clouse scored five points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

In addition to Earl, Medora got nine points from Eli Sturgill, including a four-point play in which he made a 3-pointer while being fouled. Braxton McCory finished with eight points and Dawson Cornett ended with seven points.

In the first half, it looked like Crothersville would pull away. The Tigers’ press bothered Medora into 11 first-half turnovers and a five-minute scoreless stretch that allowed Crothersville to pull in front, 15-10.

Sophomore Lucas Hilton came off the bench to fuel Crothersville’s run. After a layup by West, Hilton scored six straight points to help the Tigers convert a one-point deficit into a five-point lead.

Medora countered its turnovers with efficient offense, however. The Hornets made seven of nine second-quarter shots to stop Crothersville’s rally and take a 25-23 lead into halftime.

The Tigers will be back at home tonight against South Central while Medora is scheduled to host New Washington on Thursday night.

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