The Todd County Central boys’ basketball team dropped its third straight, losing 76-65 to hosts Webster County (7-2) in its first game of the Baptist Health and Sport Rehab Holiday Classic. The Rebels slip to 5-3 on the year, after a 5-0 start that was the program’s best in over twenty years.
Senior center Collin Sharp scored the first 6 points for the Rebels, giving them an early 1 point lead, but the Trojans went on an 11-1 run from there to lead 16-8 at the end of the first quarter. Rebels’ senior guard Nolan Barrow didn’t play in the first quarter, and senior center Jon Calvery didn’t start, but came in midway through the quarter. Barrow is the team’s leading scorer, and Calvery is second in scoring and the leading rebounder.
Barrow checked into the game with 5:34 to play until halftime, and immediately nailed a corner three to cut the lead to 21-19. A short time later, Calvery drew a charge and hit two free throws on the other end to tie the game at 21. Calvery picked up a charging foul and went to the bench with 3:09 left, and the Trojans went on a 5-0 run to stretch the lead to 26-21 with 1:36 to play. Todd County sophomore guard Tanner McCuiston hit a three-pointer with thirty seconds to go for the 28-24 halftime score.
Sharp was the leading Rebel scorer at the half with 9, followed by Calvery’s 4. Barrow, senior guard Tashaun Foster, and McCuiston hit a three-pointer each.
Foster started the sccond half with a three-pointer to cut the lead to 1. With 5:44 left in the third, Foster again pulled the Rebels to within 1 at 32-31, before a bucket by sophomore guard Austin Rager gave Todd County its first lead since 6-5 in the first quarter. Foster scored 11 in the third, and after a Barrow two, he scored on back-to-back trips to give the Rebels a 43-38 lead with 2:15 left. However, the Trojans would close the quarter on a 11-0 run to take a 49-43 lead into the fourth.
The Rebels were within 6 after a Barrow pull-up with 5:53 to play, but Webster County wouldn’t let them get any closer. The Trojans began to look to let the clock run, and made the Rebels pay at the free throw line. Webster County shot a perfect 10-10 in the final quarter, and 21-27 for the game, while Todd County hit 8-10 for the game, and were only 1-2 in the fourth quarter. The Rebels were called for thirteen second-half fouls, while the Trojans only committed four. With 2:53 left, Webster County pushed the lead to double-digits at 67-55, and the Rebels never got closer than 9 after that, falling 76-65.
Foster had 14 points in the second half on the way to a team-leading 17, followed by Barrow’s 12. Rebel big men Sharp and Calvery finished with 9 and 7, respectively, and McCuison tallied 8. Sophomore guard Dominique Morrow scored 5, and Rager and sophomore guard DJ Johnson had 3 each.
Todd County will look to snap their losing streak on Friday when they face 1-8 Western. Western fell 90-70 to Christian County (6-1) in the early game on Thursday.
