 02/06/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
HERRIN - If you were needing an example of how to waltz into a
gym and ruin a Senior Night for one of your conference rivals,
you can go back and look at the video of how Massac County did
that on Tuesday night.
The Patriots spoiled
the party, in a big way against their rival Herrin.
Coach Joe Hosman
added another win to his long legacy but it is highly doubtful
that any of his teams ever had a better first half of basketball
than his club produced in the first 16-minutes of its 68-46
win.
Massac County
raced out to a 39-17 halftime advantage and never let up in
a commanding victory in front of a large, mostly disappointed,
crowd.
The Patriots canned
8-of-12 shots in the first quarter and matched that number in
the second frame to end up 16-of-24 by intermission as they
pummeled the Tigers and improved to 19-7 overall, 4-3 in the
Ohio Division.
Six-four senior
Hunter Box broke loose for 17-points points, including a couple
of fourth quarter dunks as he proved too tough to handle for
the Tigers on Tuesday.
Senior guard Isaac
Hosman added 16-points for Massac County while senior guard
Will Harmon tossed in 14.
Hosman finished
with a double-double as he handed out 11-assists.
Junior guard Kris
Garnett scored 10-points for the Patriots, including a pair
of first quarter baskets.
His first one
broke the game's only tie (2-2) as the basket on a drive started
an 11-3 run, the first of several scoring burst for the Patriots.
“I think
the first half was as good as we can play. We're starting to
play well. We have a good combination. Hunter Box is scoring
and our two guards (Hosman, Harmon) and Garnett are contributing,”
said Coach Hosman, who once upon a time ago was a standout guard
for Herrin (1972-73). “It was a great win for us.”
Head coach Sayler
Shurtz and his club took it on the chin Tuesday night as the
Tigers never put together any scoring runs or defensive stops
to get back into the contest.
Herrin ended up
with just two players in double-figures in scoring with junior
Kyrese Lukens scoring 12-points while Grady Cox finished with
11.
Senior guard Exavier
Williams followed up with nine for the Tigers and junior Chris
Nelson ended up with eight.
None of the totals
added up for a chance to win as the visiting team took it to
the hosts and took away any sort of drama by halftime.
“That was
uncharacteristic of our team tonight. Give credit to Massac.
They came out tonight and threw the first punch. I thought our
guys were very hesitant to attack. Once we got down early we
weren't making shots. Defensively is where you have to try and
change the momentum of the game,” said Coach Shurtz. “They
(Massac) had way too many transition points. I don't think we've
had in the last couple of years anyone score that many transition
points on us.”
Offensively the
Patriots were stellar but it was the defense that shined just
as bright on this night.
Massac County
forced 15-turnovers, turning many of the mistakes by Herrin
into points.
Seven of the Patriots'
buckets came in transition.
Hosman and Box
each converted conventional three-point plays in the first quarter.
The senior guard
drove in for a lay in and then fed Box who scored on a fast
break.
The results were
a 19-7 lead.
Herrin added a
couple of scores to close out the first quarter with Cox getting
both buckets as the Tigers trailed just 19-11.
That was just
before Massac put together its best run of the night to puncture
the tires on the Tigers wagon.
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