Cougars run away to win over Tigers

Aaron Kirchoff, Greensburg Daily News, Ind.
·2 min read

Feb. 8—South Decatur's tempo offensively led to 32 first-quarter points and an 89-65 victory over visiting Crothersville.

The Cougars improve to 9-10 on the season. Crothersville drops to 6-10.

Jacob Scruggs opened the scoring in the game for South. Crothersville answered with a bucket by Curtis Thompson. Dale Peters drained a 3-pointer to put the Cougars up early 5-2.

After a bucket by Crothersville's Preston West, Scaggs scored on the lay-up and followed that with a steal and another lay-up to push the lea to 9-4. Later in the quarter, a rebound bucket by Colby Rathburn pushed the lead to 18-9.

Crothersville battled back to close the gap to 20-16, but a Rathburn bucket started 12-2 South run. A steal and bucket by Lucas Ballard for South put the Cougars on top 32-18 after one quarter.

Crothersville opened the scoring in the second quarter, but South's Dorian Hacker answered with a traditional three point play to make it 35-20. A steal by Hacker, pass to Scaggs and long pass to Peters on the break increased the Cougar lead to 40-20.

After Crothersville scored to stop the Cougars' run, Ballard drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 43-22. With the South lead at 20 points (49-29), Hacker drained a 3-pointer for the Cougars to push the lead to 52-29. Right before the half-time horn, Ballard hit a 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 57-31 lead at the break.

An Elijah Plasse free throw, bucket by Beau Napier and bucket in the lane by Plasse opened the third quarter and cut the South lead to 57-36. South got on the board as Peters knocked down a 15-foot jumper. At the five minute mark, Rathburn's 3-pointer made it 62-38. Back-to-back buckets by Hacker extended the South lead to 72-44 with 2:10 to play in the quarter.

Back-to-back buckets on the fast break by South's Drake Scaggs and Jaylynn McMurray extended the lead to 35 points. McMurray's two free throws with :02.6 on the clock gave South an 83-46 lead after three quarters.

Even with the running clock in the fourth quarter, the Cougars cruised to the victory 89-65.

Four Cougars scored in double figures: Hacker 17, Peters 14, Scruggs 13 and Ballard 11. McMurray added nine followed by Scaggs eight, Rathburn seven, Avery Seegers five and Cameron Henderson two.

West led all scorers with 30 points for Crothersville. Thompson added 14 and Napier had 11.

South hosts Waldron (9-9) Saturday.

Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com