(Photo by Brayleigh Boggs, Carter County Times)
By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
The East Carter Raiders pulled off a dramatic comeback Saturday night on their home court; rallying after a sluggish start to secure a 56-52 victory over the Greenup County Musketeers in front of an electric home crowd.
The Raiders fell behind early, trailing 19-9 and struggling to get anything going offensively. Coach Brammer called a timeout in an attempt to settle his team, but Greenup didn’t let up. They capitalized on East Carter’s turnovers and second-chance opportunities. Caden Tussey (15) tallied up a long three-pointer as seconds ran off the clock to signal the end of the first quarter. The Musketeers continued to challenge the Raider offense and continued to take advantage of East’s missed opportunities, building a 23-13 lead. By halftime, the Musketeers had stretched their advantage to 39-25, leaving the Raiders searching for answers.
Out of the break, East Carter found its spark. Seniors William Burton (5) and Tussey ignited the offense, chipping away at the deficit and narrowing the gap to 47-42 heading into the fourth quarter. Greenup, however, lost their spark as time ticked away. The Raiders’ defense tightened, forcing turnovers and limiting Greenup’s looks at the basket. Multiple key blocks from Colton McGuire (12) set the tone, and Grant Menix (10) gave East Carter its first lead of the night at 48-47 with 5:20 remaining in the game.
The final stretch kept fans on edge with every possession. East Carter surged ahead 51-47, only for Greenup to claw back and briefly retake the lead at 52-51 with just 35 seconds left. That’s when Burton delivered the play of the game, driving hard to the rim, blasting through contact, and finishing in the paint, also while getting fouled. Sinking the free throws with ease, the senior put the Raiders up 54-52. Greenup tried to get a shot off to end the nail-biter, but a host of Raiders forced them to turn the ball over. Scrambling to regain possession, they fouled Menix, sending him to the line to shoot a bonus free throw. Unsurprisingly, he finished both, extending their lead to 56-52. With just 5.4 seconds remaining, Greenup couldn’t gain the momentum to overcome the deficit, giving East Carter their first regular-season win.
It was a tale of resilience for East Carter, who refused to fold despite a double-digit halftime deficit. Behind the leadership of Burton, Tussey, and Menix, the Raiders showed poise under pressure and delivered a statement win that should resonate as the season continues.
(Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com)
