Johnson County boys and girls fall to Cougars

from staff reports

   After a tied first quarter, the Sullivan Central Cougars took advantage of a couple three-pointers from Joe Brown and Jonathan Toler to jump ahead of Johnson County, putting up nineteen points in the second to take the 31-19 lead before the half. The Cougars clung to the lead, taking the game with a 53-47 score.
   The Longhorns bounced back in the second half of the game, with three treys, courtesy of Michael Lipford. However, despite a seventeen-point fourth quarter, compared to Central's nine, the Longhorns failed to overtake the Cougars.
   Lipford led the Longhorn scoring, with eighteen points, including four treys. Judd Shoun and Frank Icenhour contributed ten and nine points, respectively.
   For Central, Brown and Toler dominated with eleven points each, followed by Daniel Skelton with seven.
   In the girls' action, the Lady Cougars took a giant leap early in the game, holding the Lady Longhorns at bay until the gamed ended in Central's favor, 71-28.
   Johnson County's first quarter only yielded a field goal from April McCloud and two free throws from Elena Owens. A joint effort from Central boosted the Lady Cougars to a 19-4 lead by the end of the quarter.
   Beth Shelton hit two three's in the second, and tacked on two field goals to lead Central to their sixteen points of the quarter. Johnson County received efforts from Owens, McCloud, Jenny Tugman, and Becky Stout.
   Despite a trey in the third from Owens, Johnson County failed to keep pace, and several late game foul shots by Central drove the stake in.
   Owens led the Lady Longhorns with ten points, followed by Stout with five. For Central, Shelton scored twenty-two points.