Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
It was a tough night for both the junior varsity and varsity Madison County High School (MCHS) basketball teams as they played their home openers against the Lions of Leon High School on Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the MCHS gymnasium.
The opening game of the evening pitted the two junior varsity teams against each other. The contest was a close one early on, and the Cowboys held a 16-13 lead at the end of the first period. The Lions took control during the second quarter and by the end of the first half, held a 28-21 lead. The Lions continued to extend their lead during the third period, which ended with the Lions still ahead, 43-33. The Cowboys began to chip away at the Lions' lead by causing turnovers and transition scoring. The score was tied at 45, at around the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter. As the game clock ticked away, the Cowboys were forced to commit fouls in order to stop the clock. The Lions were able to take advantage of this and extend their lead in the final moments of the contest, which ended with a 55-51 Lions win.
The varsity game played out in a very similar way, with the Lions building a tight lead early in the contest. At the end of the first quarter, the Lions had a 13-9 lead. The Cowboys were able to tie the score at 24 points apiece by the end of the second period. Baskets were tough to come by for the home team as the Lions regained the lead during the third period. The Cowboys were able close the gap on the Lions, but in the end, it was the Lions who came out on top with a 48-42 final score.
Orient Livingston led the Cowboys in scoring, with 11 points. Jamie Hampton also scored in double-digits with 10 points. Kemorrin Akins, Jonathan Aikins, Marcus Hawkins, Jr., Kevin Ferguson and Zion Lamar also contributed to the Cowboys' scoring total.
The Cowboys were able to bounce back on Saturday, Jan. 8, when they traveled to Jasper for a game with the Trojans of Hamilton High School. The Cowboys totaled 17 steals during the game on their way to defeating the Trojans, 55-51. Three different Cowboys, Orient Livingston, LaBron Lee and Jamie Hampton, scored 12 points apiece to help put the Cowboys in the win column. Kenorrin Akins, Jonathan Akins, Marcus Hawkins, Jr. and Kevin Ferguson all added to the Cowboys' score.
The Cowboys, (5-6) will return home on Wednesday, Jan. 12, to play the War Eagles of Wakulla High School. The junior varsity will tip-off at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity tip-off at approximately 7:30 p.m.