When you are struggling to put the ball in the basket, it can make it tough to win a high school basketball game, especially against one of the better teams in the area. That held true for the Hopkinsville Tigers Tuesday night, who at times were as cold as the weather outside, as they fell on the road to Madisonville 64-44.
The Tigers, who have been beset by injuries all season long, saw their offensive issues arise right out of the gate. Madisonville jumped Hopkinsville early, getting out to a 9-2 lead. The Tigers fought back and cut the lead to 9-6, only to see the Maroons finish the first quarter on a 6-1 run to take a 15-7 lead.
Madisonville continued to keep the pressure on the Tigers in the second quarter, opening with an 8-2 run to extend the margin to 23-9. While Hopkinsville was cold from the outside, the Maroons were strong on the inside, getting multiple second chance opportunities, and many times limiting the Tigers to one shot. The Maroons went to the halftime break holding a 28-15 lead.
At the beginning of the second half, Jalen Johnson and Jacarius Burks teamed up for back-to-back baskets to trim the lead to 9 points. The Maroons responded by outscoring the Tigers for the rest of the 3rd quarter 17-7 to pull out to a 45-26 lead.
Hopkinsville, who never lead in the game, could get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Jacarius Burks was solid for the Tigers, scoring 13 points. Jalen Johnson was also in double figures with 10, while Bryce Smith came off the bench to get 9 points on three 3-point shots. James Gilbert paced the Maroon attack with 16 points. Kenny White added 14.
The loss, which was the 4th in a row for Hopkinsville, drops the Tigers to 4-9, while Madisonville improves to 12-3.
