David Crockett had a good shot at beating Science Hill on Tuesday, but good shooting by Caden Wampler helped the Hilltoppers rally to win their 60th straight regular-season conference game.Crockett, coached by former Science Hill assistant John Good, got 28 points from his son, Patrick, and 15 from fellow Science Hill transfer Brendan Coleman, and the Pioneers led by five points twice in the fourth quarter.But Wampler hit a 3-pointer each time, including his sixth of the night, to get the Hilltoppers (5-4, 14-6) within 62-60 with 2:36 remaining, and Science Hill’s pressure defense finally seemed to take a toll late in a 74-65 victory.Wampler finished with 20 points and five of his six treys came in the second half.“I think the big thing there with Caden was he was willing to step up and shoot the ball tonight,” Science Hill coach Ken Cutlip said. “I felt like some our kids got a little tentative and were second-guessing whether to shoot the ball tonight. … He missed some early but it looked like he was comfortable wanting to shoot the ball. And our kids found him in transition and we ran a set or two to him some opens looks. … If you don’t have him step up and knock those shots down it may have been a different story.”Point guard Malik McGue was valuable down the stretch. He finished with 16 points, including a driving basket that tied the score at 62, and had five assists in the fourth quarter.Science Hill leading scorer Calvin Songster was chased most of the night by Luke Hopson, but ended up with 14 points thanks to 8-for-8 free throw shooting in the second half.Peyton Wingate (11) also scored in double figures for the Hilltoppers.“It was a very difficult game to be a part of, but I was extremely proud of our kids and, you know, how they persevered tonight,” Cutlip said. “We didn’t play extremely well … but I thought our kids continued to fight and battle and stepped up in the fourth quarter and we played really well down the stretch.”Good made nine field goals, many on difficult double-clutch drives, and was 10-for-11 at the foul line. Good and Coleman scored all 16 Pioneers points in the fourth quarter. Coleman’s three-point play gave the Pioneers their final five-point cushion.“The clock doesn’t run fast enough,” John Good said, “and we get caught up in the – it’s the same thing that happened against D-B – we just try to go faster than what our ability dictates and we just turn it over.”Dustin Day scored 13 points for Crockett (3-3, 13-7), which visits Happy Valley on Friday. Science Hill is at Volunteer Friday.Science Hill (girls) 66David Crockett 13Senior point guard Tianna Tarter scored 21 of her 25 points in the first half as Science Hill dashed to a 37-4 lead.It was the 44th straight regular-season Big Seven victory for Science Hill (5-0, 20-0).Junior combo guard Keisha Gregory made all four of her 3-pointers in the third quarter. Science Hill coach Keith Turner was pleased with his team’s intensity in the second half.“It’s easy to go out there and just sort of coast, but we were very, very sharp to start the third quarter,” Turner said. “Keisha hit three or four threes, just boom, boom, boom. … Keisha’s got to be a scoring threat, so it was nice to see her do that. Early in the year she was doing that and she’s been in a little bit of a slump. Keisha always has the toughest defensive assignment no matter who we play. So that’s asking a lot of somebody to do that and to knock those buckets down. “Of course, Tianna was just all over the place. She just always knows where to be.”Kaley Persinger had four points to lead Crockett (1-5, 3-15).
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