It was a clean sweep for McLean County’s basketball program, as both the boys’ and girls’ teams won their opener of the 10th district tournament – advancing to both the championship game and the 3rd region tournament.
The Lady Cougars traveled to Muhlenberg County and overcame a late deficit to win 39-37. Kenadi Level led the way with 16 points, while Karlee Floyd added 11 points. Ella Larkin (6), Sarah Larkin (4), and Danielle Reynolds (2) rounded out the teams scoring. Tonight at 6 pm, Ohio County awaits them in the district championship.
“Our girls played with a lot of heart and made a great late comeback to win the game,” McLean County girls head coach Eli Ellis said. “We shot badly from the field, but shot 80% from the free throw line which kept us in striking distance. Kenadi led the way with 16 points and shot 75% from the free throw line – hitting 12-16. Karlee finished with 11 points and a huge steal in the final seconds to hit a layup to put us up one. Our defense has been our backbone all year and we were able to cause enough issues to get us the win.”
In the boys’ tournament, the Cougars held off Ohio County to win 48-45. Camden Baird and Jaelin Grives led the way with 14 points each. Averaging 18.1 points per game, McLean County’s defense held Ryan Durham to 11. The Cougars will play Muhlenberg County in the district championship on Friday at 6 pm.
“We played well for the most part,” McLean County boys’ head coach Darren Lynam said. “We were gassed, but endured through it. Our defense was solid the whole night. And we made a defining stop at the end to preserve the three-point win.”
