A furious Fort Campbell comeback bid fell just short in a 60-51 loss at Dawson Springs Tuesday night in the first round of the boys’ 2nd Region All ‘A’ Classic.
Dawson (6-10) ran out to a 39-19 lead at halftime and held a 48-27 advantage through three quarters.
But Fort Campbell (5-10) whittled the margin down to just four points with 3 minutes to go before the Panthers held on to advance to Friday’s semifinal round.
Dawson made 14 of 26 field goal attempts (53.8 percent) in the first half while the Falcons struggled from the field in the first 16 minutes, making just 8 of 31 shots for 25.8 percent.
But Dawson went cold in the second half, shooting just 6 of 26 from the floor. However, the Panthers made key baskets and free throws down the stretch to hold on for the nine-point triumph.
Landon Pace had 14 points for Dawson while Skylar Clark added 13 and Dylan Dawson had 10.
Fort Campbell, which had beaten the Panthers twice earlier this season, got 21 points and 12 rebounds from Cameron Johnson. Jayden Allen had 12 points.
Dawson Springs will host the 2nd Region All ‘A’ Classic semifinals and finals on Friday and Saturday. The Panthers will play the late semifinal on Friday, facing Livingston Central at 7:30 p.m. Lyon County and University Heights will meet in the opener at 6 p.m.
The regional championship game is set for Saturday at 7 p.m.