Coach Croft drew a technical late
in the first half against McLean.

DAVIESS COUNTY
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Game-by-Game Wrapup...
FINAL ROUND, Saturday, Jan. 4 - Webster 57, Crittenden 49: Webster County (8-5) beat the Rockets at the foul line, making 29-of-38 foul shots while Crittenden (6-3) got to the stripe just three times and came away with a single point. The Trojans won the game 57-49, leaving the Rockets with a 1-3 mark in the tournament and a sixth-place finish out of eight teams.

It was disappointing and frustrating for a Crittenden team that came into the holiday event with big hopes and an unblemished 5-0 record.

Despite a huge disparity at the free throw line, Crittenden managed to keep it close. The Rockets were within six in the last two minutes, but that wasn't by virtue of its offense. The defense shouldered all of the burden for in keeping this one from being a blowout. The Rockets even led briefly by as many as four points in the second period before falling behind by 12 to start the final quarter.

As they had throughout the last three games of this tournament, the Rockets were dismal from the field, making just 22-of-60 shots, including 4-of-15 from 3-point range. The lackluster shooting coupled with 17 turnovers stacked the cards against Crittenden. The lopsided opportunities at the foul line was more than the struggling Rockets could withstand.

Tim Hill, Nick Parker and Shawn Lanham had a dozen points apiece, but the rest of the cast pitched in only 13 more.


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ROUND THREE, Saturday, Jan. 4 - McLean 62, Crittenden 57: A poor first-half performance was pivotal in this game. Against a McLean County (2-8) team big in the paint, Crittenden (6-2) figured to use its backcourt to dismantled the Cougars. However, the Rockets couldn't get anything to go in the basket early on and fell behind by 18 points in the second quarter. Crittenden made just 2-of-11 shots in the first period and missed 5 of its nine floor shots in the second period.

However, Crittenden did find a spark just before halftime. Coach Jimmy Croft was tagged with a technical foul which seemed to do more for Crittenden's momentum than anything. A defensive flurry by the Rockets and some late McLean turnovers enabled Crittenden to trim the margin to a dozen by the half.

In the third period, the Rockets finally found their rhythm, shooting much better and getting better movement on defense. Tim Hill scored seven points during a 12-2 run that cut the McLean lead to two. Crittenden actually took a three-point lead at one point early in the fourth period on a Nick Parker bucket. Yet, some key turnovers and missed scoring opportunities down the stretch cost the Rockets.

It was an exciting finish with Hill getting off a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the corner with six seconds left, but his shot bounded off both sides of the cylinder before McLean pulled it off the glass with the game's final rebound.

The loss was clearly frustrating for the Rockets, who came into the tournament undefeated. Crittenden recovered a bit from the field in the second half, but still shot only 20-for-56, including 3-for-12 from 3-point range. The Rockets were outrebounded 33-30, but had fewer turnovers. McLean had 25 miscues. The Rockets had a dozen turnovers.
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ROUND TWO: Friday, Jan. 3 - Madisonville 67, Crittenden 50: Madisonville's tenacious defense forced Crittenden into 26 turnovers as the Rockets lost for the first time this season 67-50 to Madisonville in second round of the Daviess County Holiday Tournament.

The Maroons came out in an aggressive man-to-man defense, pressing and contesting every Crittenden pass. The Rockets committed six turnovers in the first seven minutes and fell behind 12-7. Cody Robinson came off the bench and gave Crittenden a little spark with a couple of baskets in the lane and pulled the Rockets within one point, 19-18 early in the second quarter. However, Madisonville reeled off 9-2 run and took command of the game just before halftime.

The Rockets trailed 35-28 at the half after turning the ball over 15 times in the first two periods. The second half was more of the same song as the Maroons continued to pile up the points, leading by as many as 20 late in the third quarter.

Crittenden came into the contest with its best start in more than 40 years and an undefeated record. However, Madisonville - a team that has knocked the Rockets out of the Second Region Tournament in two of Crittenden's last three appearances - was never impressed. The Maroons controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish by pouring on the defensive pressure.

Crittenden shot 15-for-39 from the field while the Maroons were 24-for-59. Crittenden was 3-for-11 from 3-point range and Madisonville was 4-for-9. The Rockets finished with 30 rebounds and Madisonville 37.

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ROUND ONE: Thursday, Jan. 2 - Crittenden 68, Greenwood 60: Tim Hill scored 26 and Crittenden beat Greenwood in the opening round of the tournament at Owensboro.

The Rockets took an early lead with four 3-pointers in the first quarter, then put the game away with a 19-9 spurt in the third.

Crittenden led 51-34 going into the final period, but Greenwood made a late comeback attempt which came up eight points short.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 (AM Slate)
Webser County 50, Central Elgin College Institute 36
McLean County 62, Crittenden County 57
Daviess County 92, Edmonson County 63
Madisonville 69, Greenwood 52

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 (PM Slate)
7th place game: McLean County 65, Central Elgin College Institute 53
5th place game: Webster County 57, Crittenden County 49
3rd place game: Greenwood 90, Edmonson County 69
championship game: Daviess County 92, Madisonville 82