Earlier in the season the Cougars had handed the Stars their first loss in two years, but they never came close to that performance when it counted the most.
The Cougars had lots of trouble handling the ball and it hurt then terribly. They committed 23 turnovers in the game and the Stars took advantage by turning them into 22 points.
Grayson County also found it difficult to put the ball in the basket. They hit just 9-of-24 shots from the field for a woeful 26 percent.
Adding to the gloom was the fact that star point guard Brady Clemons fouled out of the game with under four minutes to play, the first player to foul out this season for the eighth-grade team. Clemons finished with nine points and four rebounds.
Grayson County (21-10) led only once in the game, 4-2 following a Clemons lay-up at the 4:19 mark of the first quarter.
A short jumper by Tyler Hill at the 2:34 mark tied the score at 6-6, but that would be the last time the Cougars had a taste of the lead. The Stars (19-2) scored the final seven points of the period and led 13-6 heading into the second quarter.
The Cougars closed to within three points of the lead three times in the second period, the final time coming with :27.3 showing on the clock when Rance Whobrey hit two free throws to make the score 21-18. The Cougars were 7-for-7 from the foul line on the night.
But the Stars scored last when John Noffsinger buried a three-pointer with seven second remaining that gave his team a six-point lead, 24-18 heading into the halftime break.
The Stars led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, but a rebound basket by Jakob Clemons cut it to nine points, 33-24 as play began in the fourth quarter.
After the Stars' Collin Rose scored to run the lead back up to 11 points, Whobrey hit a three at the 5:08 mark that cut the margin to eight points, 35-27. Unfortunately, those would be the last points the Cougars could manage the rest of the way.
Clemons fouled out at the 3:47 mark, sending Rose to the line in the bonus. Rose, who led all scorers with 12 points, hit both shots and the Stars had scored nine unanswered points to make it 44-27.
The Cougars committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter alone, which were turned into nine North points. The Stars scored the last 13 points in the game to turn it into a rout.
Colby Carver joined Rose in double-figures for the Stars, finishing with 10 points.
Whobrey and Jakob Clemons finished the night with eight points apiece, and Clemons led the Cougars on the boards with seven rebounds. Hill was the only other Cougar to score, closing out his night with two points.
News-Gazette Sports Reporter
dbrown@gcnewsgazette.com
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