CARTERVILLE – The Carterville Lions basketball team took on the Murphysboro Red Devils Thursday night for seniors.
This game was also the deciding factor if the Lions would win the conference outright. The Lions ended the night with a 9-point win over the Devils, 49-40.
To begin the game, the Lions win the tip-off and take the first possession. Junior Drew Barrington goes down low and with a pass from Sophomore Kolton Hawkins, the Lions were up by 2.
Possession of the ball went back and forth for the teams for most of the quarter, the Lions having 5 turnovers and the Devils having 4. With a few seconds left in the first quarter, sophomore Kaden Wilson goes for a three that brings the Lions up by 1, 9-8.
The second quarter proved tough for the Lions, Hawkins received his third foul of the night with 2 and a half quarters still left to play. Lions could not keep hold of the ball with multiple turnovers.
However, the Lions stayed on top and entered the locker room with a six-point lead on the Devils, 21-15.
Entering the third quarter was a struggle for the Lions, the Devils pulled their deficit from 6 points to only 2 within the first few minutes. However Senior Braden Wakey pulled them back up with 2 points for the Lions, 23-19.
Murphysboro’s head coach received a technical foul that pushed the momentum for the Lions, Barrington
Both teams go back and forth on possession keeping the game within 4 points. They end the third quarter with the Lions leading 38-32.
The fourth stayed tight much like the rest of the game. With only a few points for each team, the Lions took the win as well as the conference title outright with a final score of 49-40.
The Lions continue in the postseason at the West Frankfort Regional, if you wish to keep up with the Lions basketball team follow @CartervilleAth on Instagram and Twitter.
