CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Montgomery Central Indians hosted the Jo Byrns Red Devils for a Tuesday night matchup. A low scoring, back and forth game gave the Indians two final shots in the final seconds of the game to take the lead, however, they both went in and out as Montgomery Central fell 38-37.
The Indians started out the gates strong, as they built a 7-0 run after tipoff, but Jo Byrns quickly responded with some press defense that forced Montgomery Central to switch up their strategy. The two teams started to get chippy, and a few technical fouls were assessed. Despite Noah Nicholson’s timely threes, who led the Indians with 17 points, the Red Devils held a narrow lead at the end of the third quarter 29-28.
“We played really good defense and kept them off balance all night,” said Montgomery Central head coach Sam Young. “They’re a really good team; they probably have a chance to go to the state tournament. That’s what kept us in the game.”
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The Indians rallied back to take the lead, however, Jo Byrns responded once again as they sunk a few free throws down the stretch to hold a 38-37 lead with five seconds remaining. The Indians rushed the ball down the floor but missed their first shot. Montgomery Central then crashed the glass for an offensive rebound but missed again as time expired.
Following their one-point loss, Young told Clarksville Now it’s about finding ways to win close games.
“It’s been the same story, we’ve had numerous games like this,” said Young. “We got great looks and couldn’t finish. We’ve been in that spot and haven’t been able to finish it out. It’s frustrating as a coach, you just hope along the way we learn.”
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