CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Lawrence County Wildcats traveled across the river to Montgomery Central High School for the region 6-3A tournament quarterfinals against the Indians on Saturday night. It was a back-and-forth battle that saw the Wildcats use a 20-point fourth quarter to pull away for a 56-38 win, ending the Indians’ season.
The two teams couldn’t get much going offensively early, largely thanks to physical defense on both ends. Only 31 total points were scored in the first half, and the Indians held a slight one-point advantage.
In the second half, both offenses heated up, including Montgomery Central guard Noah Nicholson, who hit two threes in that span. That was part of his 16 total points to lead all scorers on the night.
When the fourth quarter began, however, the Indians only scored seven points, while Wildcats forward Gavin Glass had 11 points all by himself in the period. Thanks to quick stops and timely scoring, Lawrence County pulled away for a regional win.
Going into the postseason, Lawerence County had only won three games during the regular season but now, they are three wins away from a state tournament berth.
Despite the Indians’ season coming to a close, this was still a season of history for Central. A regular-season district title, their first home regional game in 20 years, and a run that the fans on the reservation will never forget.
“Our offense was stagnant tonight; we didn’t get the shots we were hoping for,” said Indians head coach Sam Young. “Our defense wasn’t bad at all, but it got magnified because of the lack of offense. It just shows that just cause you’re the higher seed, you’re not just gonna walk in and win.
“I thought the season went really well, we’re really proud of the guys,” said Young. “This was a memorable year, but now that we’ve got that one foot forward, we want to continue to build off of it. Now they know what it takes to take that next step. Those two seniors will be hard to replace.”
| SPORTS REPORT: Sign up for the new weekly Clarksville sports newsletter