Another chance for an important district win slipped away from the Logan County Cougars Friday at Franklin-Simpson. The Cougars led the Cats by a point with two seconds remaining in the game. F-S won.
Demaris Payne stuck a rebound back in the basket with 1.6 seconds remaining to give Coach Dee Spencer’s team a 53-52 district win.
This a recurring theme, a sort of broken record, for the Cougars, who lost in double overtime at Russellville two weeks ago and in overtime at Todd Central the next week. All three road losses were in district competition. Coach Lonnie Mason’s team is now 1-3 in district games that count with a home game against the Panthers left on Feb. 1. A word of caution: it’s on another Friday.
This game was close throughout. Franklin led 14-12 after a quarter and the score was knotted at 30-30 at halftime. The Cougars had tied it at 26-26 on a hook shot by J.R. Morrow, and they led 28-26 on a rebound shot by Tahmir Graham, who put together his best game in several weeks.
The Cougars took a 41-39 lead on Torin Graham’s pair of free throws, but Franklin’s Kevin Flippin hit his second 3-pointer of the quarter. Torin Graham returned the favor, hitting a trey of his own to give Logan a 44-42 lead entering the final period.
The lead grew to four, but the Cougars never good hold that large a margin again. Taylor Blakemore hit one of two free throws twice, and Tahmir Graham scored on an assist and steal by Landon Stratton, but the door came open for Payne’s game winner.
Torin Graham finished with 23 points, 13 of them in the first half. Ben Wright added 9, Stratton 7, Tahmir Graham 6, Blakemore 4 and Morrow 2. Adam Wilkins, Tucker Baldwin and Clint Knight also extended action.
F-S had a balanced attack. Flippin led with 13 while Tanner Clark had 11 (10 in the first half), Payne and Drew Talley 9 each, Tavin Lovan 6, Evan Figert 3 amd Jordan Holt 2.
Franklin-Simpson, which ran its record to 10-9, is 3-1 in the district. The Wildcats have not yet played either of their games against Todd Central and will meet Russelllville again on Jan. 29.
Coach Lonnie Mason’s Cougars are 5-14 overall, although they are playing just about everyone close.