By DOUG EADS, CJ Correspondent
Somerset — The conclusion of last night’s Somerset—PC game at the Briar Patch was more reminiscent of Prince’s hit ‘Purple Rain’ more than it was a basketball game.
Unfortunately for Somerset, the purple balls that came out of the Somerset student section aimed at Pulaski County’s team when the final horn had sounded didn’t add up to a Jumper victory.
More about that in a minute.
You really didn’t think a PC—Somerset game would be anything other than a war did you?
Last night at the Briar Patch, once again these two old and fierce rivals played a nail bitter that once again came down to the final buzzer.
And, thanks to Tyler Jenkins’ team-high 27 points, it was Al Gover and the Maroons getting the season sweep over the Briar Jumpers, as Pulaski County erased a 31-26 halftime deficit to hang on for a very hard-fought, 55-52 victory over Somerset.
DJ Townsend did all he could do to keep Somerset within striking distance in this one, as he scored a game-high 28 points for the Jumpers, but 20 of those came in the first half of play.
In the second half, Pulaski County’s tandem of Tyler Goins and Taylor Gover pretty much shut down Somerset’s primary offensive weapon.
And, even that was almost not enough.
Townsend had two good lucks at the basket from behind the arc in the waning seconds, but both of his three-point attempts clanged off the rim, and thanks to those bricks, Pulaski County had moved to 6-16 on the season with the heart-pounding win.
“Man, you’ve got to do everything you can to keep DJ from getting his shot up, and he made some unbelievable shots tonight,” stated a very jubilant Gover after his team’s victory.
So coach, were you aware that Townsend had 20 points on you at halftime?
“We were very aware of that, and we had a little talk with our guys about that,” pointed out Gover. “We talked about slowing him down before the game, and we still went out and acted like we had never seen the guy.”
“He’s just a good player and made some tough shots, but boy the effort defensively on him in the second half by Taylor (Gover) and (Tyler) Goins was just tremendous in the second half,” added the Maroon head coach. “Their defense on DJ in the second half was the difference in the ballgame.”
Early on, this one was played close to the best by both squads.
Somerset took its first lead at the end of the first quarter, 18-16, and Townsend hit a runner just before the buzzer to end the first half, giving his club a five-point cushion at 31-26 at the break.
That lead was short-lived however, thanks to a quick, 11-0 spurt by PC during the third stanza.
With PC down 37-30, a pair of Jenkins free throws ignited the 11-0 rally, cutting the deficit to 37-32.
Taylor Gover then picked Townsend’s pocket for a steal, and threw the ball out to a wide open Goins who drained a trey, getting PC even closer at 37-35.
Zach Eastham then hit a runner in the lane knotting the score up at 37-37, and after Townsend fumbled away the ensuing inbounds pass, a PC bucket gave the Maroons their first lead of the second half, 39-37.
A Jenkins lay-up ended the spurt, but Somerset fought right back thanks to a Colby Hall lay-up and two free throws from Hall.
Eastham then drained a trey, followed by a three-pointer by Jenkins, extending the lead out to 47-41.
However, just seconds after that Jenkins trey, Pulaski’s center picked up his fourth foul of the contest with :15 left in the third stanza, and had to head to the bench.
That left the door cracked just enough for a Jumper comeback.
“DJ was awfully good and we started making some adjustments at halftime because we were predicting that they (PC) would do something defensively in the second half,” remarked Somerset head coach Don Daniel, after watching his club fall to 4-17 with the tough loss.
“I’ve had in my career and been fortunate enough to have had players that had to face box and one’s and junk defenses thrown at them, but then I’ve had some situations where I’ve been able to put the ball in some other people’s hands too,” Daniel remarked. “We’ve got to work on a situation where we can get the ball in some other people’s hands, and let DJ then feed off of that. It works him so hard to try to get the ball, and then when they run people at him, it takes you out of what you want to do. We’re going to have to find somebody that we’re comfortable with that we put the ball in their hands, and then run the offense with DJ not having to be the primary ball handler.”
A Goins lay-up gave PC its biggest lead of the game at 49-41 to start the fourth period, but Somerset wasn’t going to go away.
Jenkins returned to the PC lineup with 4:40 left in the game, and the Maroons needed every one of the big plays that he made coming down the stretch.
Townsend scored his first points of the second half at the 4:12 mark of the fourth quarter on a three-point play, but Jenkins answered with a bucket to ease the Maroon lead back out to five, 51-46.
Both teams missed some critical free throws coming down the stretch, but when Jenkins converted on one of two from the charity stripe with :29 left, PC found itself up, 54-50.
Ten seconds later, Jenkins picked up his fifth foul, and when Townsend converted both of the free throws, Somerset had trimmed the PC lead down to a bucket at 54-52 with :19 remaining.
Goins then made one of two from the line with :17 left, setting up Somerset for one final attempt at a tie, when Daniel called a timeout.
Coming out of that timeout, Townsend got two good looks at the basket, but the shots didn’t go down, and PC had escaped the Briar Patch with the 55-52 win.
“I think our floor balance was pretty good at times, and we knew that (Tyler) Jenkins was quite a bit taller and bigger and could get some stuff done, if we got it to him,” stated Gover.
“We did a pretty good job of getting it to him at times, and he put the ball in the basket,” continued the PC coach. “I’m very proud of our guys and the effort they gave. Both of our games with Somerset came right down to the wire, which should mean for a heck of a game at Casey County in a little over two weeks when we see them again in the 47th District Tournament.”
Gover, a former Briar Jumper standout during his playing days, said he was embarrassed by the purple balls that came flying out of the Somerset student section that were aimed at his basketball team, which was celebrating a hard-fought win seconds after the game.
“There’s just no place for that kind of stuff in basketball,” said a very candid Gover.
“There’s just no place for that stuff in any sport, and I’m sure the administration here is sorry that it happened, and they apologized several times and that’s all they can do,” Gover added. “As a former Jumper, you just don’t want that kind of stuff to happen.”
As for coach Daniel, he echoed Gover’s sentiments that he was appalled by the actions of a very few that ruined what was otherwise, an outstanding basketball game played by both teams.
“It embarrassed me and that’s why I went over there after the game, because there’s no cause for it,” stated the Briar Jumper head coach.
“People are imparting themselves into the game, that are not part of the game,” continued Daniel. “They’re a fan. They didn’t wear a uniform in here tonight and they were here to support their team. I don’t know that there’s ever been another contest that we’ve had here where I’ve seen our fans throw objects out on the floor at the opposing team. But, somehow we thought it was all right to do that tonight for PC. For my part, as being the leader of the boy’s basketball program, I apologize for that. It really bothers me, and I’m embarrassed by that.”
Somerset returns to action next Tuesday night on the road at Wayne County, while Pulaski County will be on the road next Monday evening, as the Maroons will travel to Lincoln County to face the Patriots.
PC 16 10 21 8 — 55
SHS 18 13 10 11 — 52
PULASKI CO. — Jenkins 27, Goins 12, Eastham 7, Elmore 3, Johnson 2, Gover 2, Mounce 2
SOMERSET —Townsend 28, Henderlight 13, Hall 4, Jones 4, Stringer 2
