It was a night of dramatic swings and late-game heroics at Pulaski County High School on Friday, as the Cougars and Salem Spartans split a varsity and JV doubleheader. While the Cougars pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback in the JV contest, the Spartans managed to hold off a furious Pulaski rally in the varsity nightcap to escape with a two-point victory.
Varsity: Spartans Survive Second-Half Surge
In the varsity matchup, the Salem Spartans relied on a high-scoring first half to outlast the Cougars 62-60. Salem appeared to be in control by halftime, leading 44-30 behind the scoring of Jaydius Hamm and Tanner Overstreet. With the win, the Spartans improve to 11-2 on the season, while the Cougars move to 6-9.
The Cougar Den came alive in the third quarter as Pulaski County’s defense stifled the Spartans, holding them to just 4 points while the Cougars poured in 22 to take the lead. Braxton Merchant led the charge for the Cougars with a game-high 22 points, while Jalere Harlow added 21, including four triples.
Salem regained their footing in the final frame, outscoring the Cougars 14-8 to secure the win. It came down to the final seconds of the game. The Cougars trailed by two points and had the ball. After the Salem defense seemed to have Pulaski County in check, a quick timeout gave Cougar fans hope and a chance to take a breath. With just seconds remaining, Salem intercepted a Cougar pass along the baseline to lock in the win. Hamm finished with 17 points for the Spartans, supported by 14 points each from Camden Boles and Gabriel Clayton.
JV: Cougars Claw Back in the Fourth
The JV game provided a mirror image of the varsity drama as the Pulaski County JV overcame a deficit to defeat Salem 47-45. The JV Cougars move to 10-5 with the victory, while the Salem JV squad drops to 11-2.
Trailing for much of the middle quarters, the Cougars used a massive 20-point fourth-quarter explosion to seal the win. Abijah Hendricks was the catalyst for Pulaski County, scoring 15 points. Braylen Anderson and Ade Jackson provided the perimeter punch, combining for six three-pointers to finish with 12 points each. Salem was led by Jaden Rudisill, who dropped 15 points in the narrow loss.
VARSITY BOX SCORE
SALEM (62)
Hamm 17, Boles 14, Clayton 14, Smith 10, Overstreet 12, Sparks 5.
PULASKI CO. (60)
Merchant 22, Harlow 21, Carrasco 8, Hash 6, Blevins 6, Nottingham 4, Sweet 2.
Varsity Stat Leaders:
Top Scorers: Merchant (PC) 22; Hamm (S) 17; Harlow (PC) 21.
3-Pointers: Harlow (PC) 4; Hamm (S) 2, Clayton (S) 2, Overstreet (S) 2.
Free Throws: Hamm (S) 7-7; Harlow (PC) 3-3.
JV BOX SCORE
SALEM JV (45)
Rudisill 15, MacBrien 11, Geary 6, Nunley 5, Brown 4, Sorrells 3, Wood 1, Boger 1.
PULASKI CO. JV (47)
Hendricks 15, Anderson 12, Jackson 12, Trueheart 8.
JV Stat Leaders:
Top Scorers: Rudisill (S) 15, Hendricks (PC) 15.
3-Pointers: Anderson (PC) 4; Jackson (PC) 2.