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Print| TONY STINNETT Courier Sports Editor Cory Henley’s defensive contributions are somewhat overshadowed by his offensive flair but it was a combination of both that helped Cannon County improve to 3-0 with a 50-41 win against Coffee County at Robert A. Harris Gymnasium Monday (Nov. 19). Henley led the Lions with 19 points and was the only Lion to reach double figures. It was his defense; however, that turned the game. Henley, who had five steals, collected one of his three fourth-quarter steals off a Jarrett Melton deflection and went coast-to-coast for a layup that provided a 35-33 lead the Lions wouldn’t relinquish. Henley then stuck a dagger, delivering his only 3-pointer of the night following a Coffee County turnover to stretch the lead to 38-33 with 3:48 remaining. He came up with another steal that led to points on the following possession. “This was a good team win,” Henley said. “Everybody took care of the ball and we shared the ball. Our defense is a strong point and we all take pride in our defense. That’s a big key for our team and it showed (against Coffee County).” Tanner Larson had another solid game with nine points and six rebounds. Tommy Mitchell added seven points and Jarrett Melton finished with six points and four assists. “We didn’t shoot the ball well but we were patient in the halfcourt setting,” Cannon County Head Coach Matt Rigsby said. “Our guys are not accustomed to the halfcourt setting and Coffee County did a good job of what they wanted to do. We needed to face the halfcourt setting.” It was a dogfight throughout. Cannon County got off to a good start and led 17-10 after the first quarter but the Lions were 2-of-9 from the field in the second quarter when they scored just five points and allowed the Red Raiders to pull to within 22-20 at the half. “We just weren’t able to knock down some shots during that stretch,” Henley said. “We were getting some good looks. It wasn’t turnovers. We handled the ball well. We just didn’t finish some shots.” Henley was not the only Lion to make big plays down the stretch. Ethan Bryson’s offensive rebound and putback, Jacob Nave taking charge and Garrett McReynolds keeping a play alive with a diving effort for a loose ball are just a few. They all occurred in the final 2:29. “We had several guys step up and make big plays,” Rigsby said. “We knew scoring would be tough. This is like a district game for us and, overall, it was a pleasing effort early in the season. I thought we were pretty solid defensively.” Henley was 8-of-8 from the free throw line, including six makes in the final 39 seconds, to seal the win. |
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