This is the first game in the City of Palms Classic Signature Series. This year features small town teams that feature a player of national stature. It is an exciting concept that we whole-heartedly embrace. For Lexington, that player is 6’5 senior Cameron Scott, a Texas signee. For Lyon County, Kentucky signee Travis Perry, a 6’2 senior and already the state’s all-time leading scorer, is the main draw. The City of Palms Classic single game scoring record is 61 points scored by Kenny Boynton of Plantation American Heritage back in 2007. Could that be in jeopardy?
Lexington opened the game with a mid-range jumper from Kaleb Evans. That would be as good as it got for the Wildcats as Lyon County reeled off ten unanswered, starting with a three from Perry. In fact, Perry scored nine of those ten. Scott got Lexington back on the board with a drive but Lyon continued its assault. If it wasn’t Lukas Breedlove scoring at the bucket it was Brady Shoulders scoring inside. In all, Lyon outscored Lexington 9-4 to finish on top 19-6 after one quarter of play.
Things went no better for Lexington in the second quarter. Lyon was quick to turn missed shots and turnovers into transition baskets and with just under four minutes to play in the period, Lyon was up 28-11. Lexington was able to put together a brief 6-0 run with a three-point play from Scott and a three from Jaxon Prunty to make the score 28-17. Lyon was unfazed. The Lions finished out the period with a 9-2 run highlighted by back-to-back threes from Jack Reddick and Shoulders. At the half, Lyon County was up comfortably 37-19.
A 12-2 run by Lyon County over the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter squashed any hopes of Lexington making it a closer contest. Perry and Shoulders accounted for ten of those twelve points. Evans did what he could to get Lexington back on the board, scoring on successive drives but a late three from Reddick made the score at the end of the third period 52-25 in favor of Lyon County.
Lyon County grew its lead into the thirties and with 5:45 left was up 63-30. Lexington didn’t curl up and die. The put together an 11-0 run, eight of those coming from Prunty. With 3:45 left in the game, the score was a somewhat more respectable 63-41. That didn’t last as Lyon County then rolled off eleven unanswered to go up 74-44. Prunty scored the last nine points of the game, all on threes, as Lyon County won 74-50.
Perry led Lyon County with 30 points and one has to wonder how many he would have had if he had shot better than 5-17 from behind the arc. Shoulder finished with 18 points while Reddick had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Prunty finished with 23 points for Lexington while Evans added 12 points. Scott added 9 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.