The Clinton County Bulldogs have had a tough week, losing to Glasgow in the All “A” Regional Tournament, and dropping a game on Friday night against Jackson County.

With the back-to-back losses, Clinton County dropped out of the top 25 in the Cantrell ratings published in the Lexington Herald-Leader Monday morning, January 23.

Jackson County came into Friday night’s game with a 9-8 record, but hot shooting from three point land gave the Generals the edge it needed to defeated the Dawgs, 66-65.

The Bulldogs were back on track and looking like the team fans know Monday night as Campbellsville came into Town.

Clinton County held the Eagles to zero field goals in the first quarter while putting up 25 point on its side of the board.

The final ended up being 74-30 in favor of Clinton County.

Clinton County 74

Campbellsville 30

It didn’t take long for last week’s losses to become the past in the minds of the players on Clinton County’s team. Monday night, Campbellsville entered “The Castle” in hopes of playing a hurt team, but instead found a team determined to get back what they had lost during last week’s All “A” Regional and Friday night’s game against Jackson County.

During the first quarter, Clinton County opened up with a 13-0 run. The Bulldogs held the Eagles scoreless for almost the first five minutes of the game.

Campbellsville finally scored off a free throw, but the Bulldogs put together a 10-0 run to lead 23-1 with 45 seconds on the clock.

Campbellsville went to the line again with 35 seconds on the clock and hit one of two, but a last second shot before the quarter ended by Keifer Dalton found its way through the hoop to end the first quarter, 25-2.

During the second quarter, the Eagles found a little more momentum by hitting a three pointer with 6:56 on the clock.

Clinton County moved into a half court trap defense instead of it’s full court press, which allowed Campbellsville to move the ball at least to the half court line.

Campbellsville made another basket to cut the lead to 18 points, 25-7, but Clinton County’s Wayne Stearns and Derek Albertson hit baskets to push the lead to 22 points.

Two more points for Campbellsville from the free throw line gave the Eagles nine points with 5:02 remaining in the half, the 18-2 run to finish the quarter saw the Dawgs head into the locker room with a 36 point lead, 47-11.

The Bulldogs continued to cruise through out the remainder of the game, picking up another 18 points in the third quarter, while only allowing nine for Campbellsville, 65-20.

During the final period Clinton County only posted nine points while Campbellsville put 10 on the board.

The Bulldogs picked up its 16th win of the season to improve its record to 16-3 on the year.

Individual scoring for Clinton County was:

Langford 12

Stalcup 11

Stearns 11

Beard 8

Albertson 7

Dalton 6

Maupin 6

Davis 4

Tallent 4

Claywell 3

England 2

Clinton County 65

Jackson County 66

In the beginning of the game Clinton County came out struggling from the field. Jackson County’s first two baskets were three pointers and the team finished the half hitting nine of 11 from behind the arc.

Clinton County was back and forth with the lead. Jackson County hit its first four shots of the game, two field goals and two three pointers, during the first three minutes of the game to lead 10-6.

Colby Langford came up with a field goal to cut the lead to two points, and Stalcup took the lead on a three pointer with 4:39 on the clock, 11-10.

A defensive stop later, Keifer Dalton drove the lane and made a basket for a three point lead, but back to back three pointers by Jackson County gave the Generals a three point lead, 16-13.

Wayne Stearns had a good night on the hardwood, being almost the only player keeping Clinton County in contention throughout the four quarters.

Stearns cut the lead to one on a field goal with 2:24 on the clock, but Jackson County answered with a field goal to regain a three point advantage, 18-15.

Stearns again hit a basket, but Jackson County answered again to maintain a three point lead with 1:49 on the clock, 20-17.

Sawyer Stalcup then took control and knocked down a three pointer to tie the score at 20 with less than 1:30 remaining in the period.

No matter what Clinton County did during the game, there was no answer for Jackson County’s hot hand from the three point line. The Generals hit another three pointer with 1:15 on the clock, 23-20.

Dalton then took matters into his own hands and drilled a three pointer to tie the score at 23. Jackson County finished the period with two more three pointers to reach 29 point in the first period and Clinton County hit a three pointer with 19 second remaining for a 29-26 first quarter score.

The second quarter went much like the first as Jackson County continued to knock down three pointers.

Scoring in the second period was back and forth between the two teams, with Jackson County reaching a seven point lead with 4:29 on the clock, 36-29.

The Bulldogs then put together a 9-3 run to finish the half down by one point at halftime, 39-38.

Between the two teams, 21 three pointers were fired with 13 total hit.

The Bulldogs finished with four of 10, which is about average for the team or for any team shooting the ball decently from the three point line. Jackson County hit nine of 11, which is almost unheard of in high school basketball.

Despite the hot shooting from the visiting team, Clinton County hung in and battled to the end.

During the third quarter the Bulldogs came out and quickly took a 45-39 lead with a basket by Wendell Maupin and two by Langford.

Jackson County made back to back field goals to cut the lead to two points, 45-43.

The Bulldogs played hard, but looked out of sync on the floor. Much of the third quarter saw both teams fluctuate with a five point lead with Jackson County taking the lead at the end of the period, 51-49.

As the final period got underway, Stearns hit a basket to get the Bulldogs to within one point, but a three pointer from Jackson saw the Generals grab a four point lead.

Stearns hit two of two from the foul line to cut the lead to two points, 54-52 and Maupin tied the score with a basket under the goal.

Both teams were back and forth up until the 2:01 mark when a basket by Stalcup cut the lead to two points, 64-62.

With 42 seconds on the clock, Stearns took the lead when he drained a three pointer from the corner, 65-64.

With 37 seconds on the clock, Jackson County calls time out to set up its last play of the game.

The Generals run time off the clock and take its shot with seconds getting closer to zero.

The shot went up and bounced off the rim and fell onto the hardwood, but then fans heard the whistle of the referee. Stearns had been called for a foul when he attempted to box out a Jackson County player.

Jackson County then went to the foul line and drained both free throws for a one point lead.

With three seconds remaining, Head Coach Todd Messer called time out to discuss a play. With Stearns being the obvious choice to get the ball, Clinton County also had other options, all capable of putting the ball in the basket.

The ball was thrown into Stalcup and he turned and tossed to Dalton. Dalton took the ball to within a step or two inside the three point line, but the buzzer sounded before the shot left his hand. The late shot Dalton put up went through the hoop, but was no good.

Jackson County won by a final of 66-65, giving Clinton County its third loss of the season, its second in a week.

Individual scoring for Clinton County was:

Stearns 25

Langford 13

Maupin 11

Stalcup 11

Dalton 5

Clinton County will be back in action on Thursday as the team travels to Allen County-Scottsville for the second game of a double header with the girls’ varsity.

The Bulldogs will also play Monticello away on Monday, January 30. The junior varsity is set to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Wayne Stearns hit this three pointer in the closing minute of Friday night’s game to give the Bulldogs a one point lead, 65-64. After a foul on the baseline that sent Jackson County to the line, the Generals led by one point as the buzzer sounded to end the game, 66-65.

Fans yelled at a Jackson County player Friday night hoping he would miss the free throw. The above free throw tied the game at 65 with three seconds remaining on the clock.