Technical fouls, turnover lead to Rocket defeat

Lyon 55, Crittenden 42

Crittenden 12 16 29 42

Lyon 10 24 31 55

Crittenden - Oliver 16, Clark 5, Pluskota 2, Pierce 7, Porter 8, Highfil 2, Nielsen 2, Gray, Scott, Belt. FG. 10. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver 3, Pierce, Porter). FT. 7-13. Fouls 24.

Lyon - Ringstaff 15, Perdue 12, Houk 10, Sutton 5, Taylor 2, Gray 6, Crady 2, Polk 3, Williams. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Ringstaff 2, Polk). FT. 16-27. Fouls 16.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

In a sloppy game, which featured a combined 45 turnovers and three technical fouls, the Rockets let too many opportunities get away Tuesday at Eddyville and dropped a 55-42 decision to Fifth District foe Lyon County.

Rocket junior guard Casey Oliver scored seven first quarter points in helping his team jump out to a 12-6 lead with 1:38 left in the opening stanza.

The Lyon defense limited Crittenden (1-4, 0-2) to one field goal in the second quarter taking a 24-16 lead into the dressing room.

The hosts’ fullcourt and three-quarter-court pressure defense forced the Rockets into some of their 31 turnovers.

Lyon reserve guard Chris Ringstaff helped fuel the Lyons rally in the second quarter as his first trey gave his team its initial lead. He finished the game with 15, but 12 of those came in the opening half.

The second half is when the whistles started blowing and technical fouls began being called.

Leading 26-18 with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter, Lyon coach Jeff Embrey was called for a technical during a dead ball situation.

The shocking thing was that the Lyon skipper did not appear to lose his temper and seemed to do nothing to warrant one.

However, Crittenden began to seize a bit of momentum slicing the lead to 26-24 less than 1:30 later. Lyon guard Taylor Gray was called for another one at the 4:39 mark of the third stanza.

Rocket senior guard Alec Pierce knotted the game at 32-all with 7:15 left in the game.

They eventually took their first lead since early in the second quarter going up 34-32 less than 1:00 later.

But the Lyons, who only made three treys for the game, took the lead for good on their last one going up 35-34 with about 5:30 left to play.

Trailing 46—39 with 1:44 to go but still very much in the contest, Rocket forward Dylan Clark was called for a technical foul.

Battling the team, who many consider to be the favorite in the Fifth District race, to such a hard-fought game, but coming up short was obviously disappointing to Hayes.

“We had an opportunity tonight to steal one and we didn’t do it,” he said.

Hayes lamented the 31 miscues and knows that can’t continue if they want to start winning. In the last two contests, Crittenden has committed 58 turnovers.

“Its just lazy passes,” said Hayes.

Despite not being a thing of beauty, Embrey was glad to escape with a district win against the pesky Rockets.

“We won, but we sure didn’t look good doing it,” he said.

Crittenden will not have to wait long for a rematch, as they face the Lyons at the Hopkins County Christmas Tournament.

Hayes is impressed with Fifth District archrival Livingston Central who will come to tomorrow night to renew the border rivalry.

“They play extremely hard. It won’t be an easy game,” he said.