By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
A tight, physical start turned into a long night for West Carter on Friday as Greenup County used a strong second half to pull away for a 72–58 win over the Comets in boys’ 16th region basketball action.
Both teams struggled to find a rhythm early, trading missed shots and turnovers through the opening minutes. Greenup opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper, but West Carter answered with defensive pressure and trips to the free-throw line. Wade Lawson (32) was fouled early and calmly knocked down both shots, while Brody Boggs (14) later split a pair of free throws to give the Comets a slim 3–2 edge.
The pace remained choppy as rebounds bounced back and forth, and neither side could consistently finish in the lane. Greenup’s Cameryn Chaffins (4) and Kasey Gammon (1) began to settle things for the Musketeers, with Chaffins scoring and Gavin Roy (23) converting two free throws after a steal. West Carter responded when Nate Webb (33) came up with a steal of his own and finished an and-one, followed by a three-pointer that briefly swung momentum.
Greenup answered behind Bradley Adkins (21) and Roy (23) on the glass, taking an 11–9 lead before Lawson (32) closed the quarter with a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 11–11.
The second quarter featured more back-and-forth play. Lawson (32) opened the period by making two free throws, but Greenup countered with baskets from Keiron Jenkins (0) and Roy (23), including an and-one on the baseline. West Carter stayed close with tough finishes from Christian Clarke (0) and Boggs (14), while Webb (33) continued to attack the rim.
Greenup began to separate late in the half, however, as Hunter Holbrook (13) knocked down a three and Chaffins (4) added another from deep. Despite Webb (33) converting at the line and West Carter battling for offensive rebounds, the Musketeers carried a 34–25 lead into halftime.
West Carter came out of the break looking to chip away. Nate Hale (24) hit a three-pointer early in the third quarter, and Boggs (14) worked inside for points and rebounds. But every small run was met by an answer from Greenup. Jenkins (0) consistently finished through traffic, Gammon (1) scored off a turnover, and Adkins (21) capitalized in transition.
Missed opportunities hurt the Comets, as several possessions with good ball movement ended without points. Greenup took advantage at the free-throw line and on second-chance opportunities, stretching the lead to 50–38 by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth, West Carter continued to compete. Boggs (14) grabbed his own miss and put it back for two, and Clarke (0) and Webb (33) found baskets in traffic. Hale (24) added another score to slow the Musketeers’ momentum briefly.
Greenup, though, was relentless. Jenkins (0) scored twice on strong drives, Holbrook (13) finished inside and cleaned up an offensive rebound, and Adkins (21) added points from the stripe. With just under four minutes remaining, Greenup extended the lead to double digits and never looked back.
West Carter closed the game with a Boggs (14) basket and a long three from Webb (33), but the deficit was too much to overcome. Greenup dribbled out the final seconds to secure the 72–58 victory.
Despite the loss, West Carter showed fight throughout. However, Greenup’s balanced scoring, rebounding edge, and ability to convert free throws proved to be the difference as the Musketeers pulled away late in the second half to make a statement victory over the Comets.
Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com
