Titans Can’t Complete Comeback Against Jaguars
The Harrodsburg Herald/Wesley Bird
Senior Gage Phillips scored in the paint for Mercer versus the East Jessamine Jaguars in the 46th District Tournament Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Wesley Bird
Herald Staff
[email protected]
The Mercer County Titans boys basketball team (8-21) was bounced by the East Jessamine Jaguars in the 46th District Tournament, 50-36 on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Mercer had a slow start to the game and was within four points headed into the fourth quarter, but was outscored 15 to five in the final eight minutes. Mercer’s leading scorer, senior Jackson Doughty, was held scoreless in the game, and junior Davis Tyler led the Titans in points with 14, followed by Senior Gage Phillips, who had 11 points.
The Jaguars jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter with two layups and a corner three that forced an early timeout from Titans Head Coach Keith Adkins, 7-0. After the break, Phillips scored from a push shot in the paint, but it was all Jaguars to finish the quarter with six straight points, 13-2.
Junior Caden Brogli scored a putback to start the second quarter, and East Jessamine responded with a putback of its own and a foul to extend its lead to 12 points, 16-4. The Titans strung together some scoring possessions with Tyler scoring on a putback, Brogli getting a steal and layup, and junior Carson Haven making two free throws, 18-10.
East Jessamine scored two points at the rim, and Phillips made a midrange from the baseline, 20-12. Tyler scored five points in two possessions with a 3-pointer and another putback, 22-17. The Jaguars scored by crashing the rim for a putback, and Haven had the final points of the half with a three-pointer, 24-20.
The Titans have been a slow-starting team, and once they settled into the game, they outscored the Jaguars in the second quarter. Tyler was effective at scoring on second-chance opportunities, being in the right place at the right time a few times in the first half.
East Jessamine struck first in the second half with a floater and added two more points in transition.
