11-30-2018
BY JACK BULLOCK
GOREVILLE – The game of high school basketball is played for 32 minutes of regulation time.

The contest between Benton and Hardin County on Friday night was basically over after the first four minutes.

In fact Benton scored 16-points in one minute in 32 seconds.

The Rangers dominated the Cougars, going on that 16-0 run to start the contest as Coach Ron Winemiller's club surged to a 24-3 first quarter lead.

Benton improved to 3-0 on the season after beating previously unbeaten Hardin County, 64-31.

The Rangers manhandled the opposition in the early going, forcing four early turnovers which they turned into easy points.

By the time the game got to intermission, the Cougars trailed 32-6.

“We scored around the rim (finished) early and it setup our defense and enabled us to press. If you don't make the baskets you can't set up your press. Once we got into our press is kind of snowballed on them,” said Coach Winemiller as his Rangers improved to 24-7 all-time at this event. “I thought we did a good job setting the tempo the way that we wanted it to be.”

Head coach Rodney Lane had his team playing well heading into the showdown, having won its first two games in the tournament after going 0-10 in the first two seasons that they played in the event.

But the pressure dialed up by the Rangers was too much for HC to handle, especially in the first two quarters.

The Cougars ended up with 17 turnovers in the game, but 13 of them came in the first two periods of play.

Not only were the Rangers excellent defensively, they finished when taking the ball away from Hardin County.

“They made shots so they could get into their press. We got a little 'shell shocked' at the beginning, in fact the whole team besides (Jaron) Austin were that way,” said Coach Lane. “We just didn't play tonight. But that is why we are here. It's a learning experience for us.”

Coach Winemiller had his team prepared and it showed in all statistical categories on Friday night.

The Rangers drilled home 25-of-42 from the field (59.5 percent) with a “light's out” 9-of-15 (60 percent) from the 3-point arc.

Benton committed 10 turnovers, but six of those came in the second half after the damage had been done.

Hardin County was held to 11-of-29 overall from the floor (37.9 percent) and 4-of-13 from the arc.

The Rangers had 13 kids get varsity minutes on Friday night with 12 of them scoring.

Six-foot-three junior Carson Lewis led the way with 16-points.

He got the scoring party started with 10 of his points in the first quarter.

Joey Craig, a 6-foot-2 senior, netted 12 in the game as those two were the only double-digit scorers for Benton.

Junior guard Brad Hammond added eight-points to the totals.

Three other Rangers, senior Mason Wills, freshman Landon Bolen and sophomore Jacob Seidel pitched in four-points apiece.

Benton drained five of their 3-point shots in the first quarter.

Lewis had two of them along with two other baskets.

All four of those made shots came on consecutive possessions by Coach Winemiller's squad.

Already leading 6-0 after a conventional three-point play by Craig and a Hammond trey, Lewis nailed two 3-point bombs from the right side of the floor.

He sandwiched those buckets with a lay in off of a Hardin Coutny turnover and then he took a lob pass from Hammond for an easy lay in as the 16-0 run concluded at the 3:52 mark of the first quarter.

The Cougars finally got on the scoreboard with a drive to the goal from sophomore guard Jermaine Johnson and 1-of-2 free throws by senior Gabe Fowler.

The next eight-points came from Benton to close out the frame.

A drive by Wills for two was followed by back-to-back 3-point bombs by freshman guard Reid Baumgarte and junior Brady Gisher.

Gisher's trifecta come from the top of the circle just before the horn which ended the first quarter at 24-3 Rangers.

Senior guard Jaron Austin led the Cougars with 17-points as a bright spot for a tough night for Hardin County.

He scored his first basket of the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 7:22 to go before halftime.

Unfortunately for Hardin County, that was the team's only points of the second stanza.

Benton scored the next eight-points in succession and coasted into a big halftime advantage.

Hammond and Lewis both hit 3-pointers and Craig grabbed a rebound for a stick-back and a 32-6 lead at the half.

“We executed our zone sets. We thought that was what they (Hardin County) would play us,” said Coach Winemiller. “We got some shooters and we also got some transition baskets. We did a good job of keeping them off of the offensive glass. We only gave up one offensive rebound in the first half.”

Benton took its largest lead of the game with a 10-0 run, highlighted by consecutive “And-One's” by Craig and junior guard Grant Gordon.

Two more free throws by Wills gave Benton a 44-10 lead with 5:38 left in the third.

Austin scored 10 of his points in the third quarter for the Cougars, including two straight 3-pointers.

But Lewis and Craig each scored with another 3-pointer by Lewis and an inside shot by Craig closed the third with Benton in command at 51-20.

A continuous clock mercy rule used in the Goreville Invitational Tour took effect in the final quarter.

Besides Austin, Hardin County got nine-points from freshman Jake Vaughn.

Both teams swing right back into action on Saturday as the tournament heads into its final day.

Hardin County will play Anna-Jonesboro at 11:30 am and then Hamilton County at 4:30 pm.

“After the big run they (Benton) made we kinda lost our focus. But this is a big learning experience and they will have to pick themselves up and got and play two games tomorrow,” said Coach Lane. “We will regroup tonight. It (the loss) might be good for them. We will see tomorrow.”

The Rangers can win the championship outright with a win over Hamilton County at 10 am and a victory over the host Blackcats in the tournament finale at 7:30 pm.

“When you can score off of your defense and you can do a good job of guarding them, it is going to be a good night,” said Coach Winemiller. “These guys have showed a lot of leadership and being focused, especially in the second half. And these kids have accepted the challenge.”

Coach Scott Burzynski got 16-points from senior guard Chase Selby and 14-points from senior guard Houston Hall in the win.

Hamilton County (1-2) and head coach Doug Miller got 11-points from 6-foot-1 sophomore Robbie Morgan in the loss.

The Indians outscored Hamilton County 14-9 in the fourth quarter, breaking a 32-all tie at the end of three quarters.

The Foxes hurt their own chances as they were just 4-of-10 from the foul line, 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter.

GOREVIILLE 52, ANNA-JONESBORO 49
The Blackcats rallied in the second half, out gunning the Wildcats 30-16 after trailing 33-22 at the half.

Coach Todd Tripp and his club improved to 1-2 in the tournament while A-J fell to 1-2.

Goreville got 15-points each from junior Landon Albright and freshman Briley Dunn.

Coach Mike Chamness got 12-points from senior Carson Reynolds and 10-points from senior Tyler Smith.