Titans Finish 46th District Tournament As Runners Up
The Harrodsburg Herald/Casey Roberts
Junior John Lincoln Perry pushed past the West Jessamine defense in the second half of Mercer’s 58-51 loss to the Colts.
Casey Roberts
Herald Staff
Sports@harrodsburgherald.com
The Mercer County Titans boys basketball (14-17) team competed in the finals of the 46th District champions game in search of their first 46th District title since 2018 against West Jessamine (21-10) Friday Feb. 24. The district final was the third time this season that Mercer and West Jessamine squared off with the Colts winning the previous two. Despite the Titan’s valiant efforts the Colts held on for the victory, defeating Mercer 58-51.
On the heels of a gutsy performance that resulted in a victory against East Jessamine in the 46th District semi finals, the Titans were set to take on one of the highest regarded teams in the 12th Region. The Colts who proved to be a difficult matchup for Mercer this season. Having already defeated the Titans two times in the regular season, the Titans were poised to change the outcome for the third contest. In the early minutes of the game, neither team managed to create separation. West Jessamine held a slim 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was a punch and counter punch affair. Junior Thaddues Mays knocked in a mid range jumper, junior Jackson Perry scored an offensive rebound putback, but Mercer still found themselves down 31-21. The Titans began to show signs of life late in the first half. Senior Wade Lane drilled a transition 3-pointer that set Mercer in motion to score a total of eight straight unanswered points. The run brought Mercer within two points of the Colts. The score stood at 31-29 heading into halftime.
The second half began with junior John Lincoln Perry evening the score for the Titans. The following four minutes saw both teams jockey for the lead. At the midway point of the third quarter the score remained tied at 35-35.
