Former district rivals, and still border rivals will square off the final quarterfinal round game of the Boys’ 2nd Region Tournament Thursday night at Hopkinsville High School. The Lyon County Lyons, 5th District champions, will take on the Caldwell County Tigers, the runners-up out of the 7th District, with the winner to claim the final spot in Monday night’s semifinals.
The Lyons enter the tournament at 22-9, and are coming off a district championship win over Crittenden County. Lyon County has won 8 in a row, and 12 of its last 13, with the only loss coming on the road at Calloway County.
8th grader Travis Perry leads the Lyons at 26.8 points per game. Big man Jackson Shoulders is the only other Lyon averaging in double figures at 16.6 a game. Gunnar Bingham adds 8.7 points per contest for the Lyons.
Jackson Shoulders has been one of the best rebounders in the region since his coming out party in the 2018 regional tournament. This year, Shoulders is averaging 11.6 rebounds per game. Nick Whalin and Travis Perry are both averaging over 4 boards per contest.
The Lyons are shooting at 43 percent for the season. Outside the arc, Lyon County hits 30.6 percent of its three point attempts. Lyon County averages 32.6 rebounds per game.
Caldwell County comes into the tournament at 16-15, having lost to Madisonville 85-58 in the 7th District title game. Prior to that loss, the Tigers had won seven in a row.
Caldwell County uses a balanced attack on the offensive end, with five players averaging 8.2 points per game or more. Tripp Branch leads the way at 12.8, followed by Adarius Riley at 12.7, then Cayden Fraliex at 10.0, JaMarius Blaine at 9.4, and Cole Smiley at 8.2.
On the glass, Cole Smiley is the Tigers’ top rebounder at 6.3 boards a game. Cayden Fraliex is next at 5.1. Tripp Branch and Adarius Riley are averaging right at 4 rebounds per game.
From the field, the Tigers are shooting 46.8 percent on the season. Behind the 3-point line, Caldwell County is hitting 35.2 percent of its shots. The Tigers average 28.6 rebounds per game.
Lyon County is averaging 72.4 points per game, while giving up 64.7 points per contest. Caldwell County comes into the tournament at 65.1 points a game. The Tigers allow 60.2 a game.
This will mark the first time the two teams have ever met in regional tournament play. Lyon County’s last win in the tournament was 2010, when they knocked off Webster County 47-43 in overtime. The Tigers knocked off Union County 67-64 last year in the quartefinals before losing to UHA in the semis.
This season, Lyon County swept the two meetings between the teams, winning 59-57 at Caldwell County in the season opener, and then winning 68-57. January 30, in Eddyville.
