Hawks maul Meade, fall to E'town

 The LaRue County Hawks mauled Meade County’s Green Waves Tuesday, Jan. 29, 44-29.

Terry Sandidge

Dustin Coulter

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Senior guard Kelton Ford contributed 17 points, five steals and two assists as the homestanding Hawks handed Meade their sixth straight loss.

Junior forward Kody Key-Close chipped in with 11 points, hitting three-of-six 3-point attempts, while junior guard Thomas Harman and senior guard Dustin Coulter each scored five. Coulter had four rebounds.

Tyler Howell scored five and had nine rebounds; and Micah Wiseman added two.

Caleb Sheffer had two assists.

Panthers

The LaRue County Hawks lost a heartbreaker to the Elizabethtown Panthers Saturday, 55-51.

Ford had game highs in points (21), assists (seven) and steals (five).

Ford’s scoring allowed the Hawks to take the lead nine times in a game that featured 19 lead changes and seven ties. LaRue County’s largest deficit was 5-0, while the Panthers overcame four four-point holes at 23-19 and 25-21 in the third quarter and 43-39 and 48-44 in the fourth quarter.

Ford was indirectly involved in the Hawks’ last two leads as Coulter putback a Ford drive with less than three minutes left to put the Hawks up 48-44 and Key-Close putback a Ford 3 and made the free throw after getting fouled to put the Hawks up 51-50 with 48.5 seconds left.

“Down the stretch, it was just about making plays and who was going to step up and make them,” Ford said. “They made a few more plays than we did.”

Despite missing 17-of-21 shots to start the game, the Panthers had no problems converting late. After falling behind 48-44, Elizabethtown converted on each of its final six possessions.

Howell had 10 points for the Hawks; Kody Key-Close had six; Sheffer and Wiseman each scored five; and Coulter and Harman each scored two. Coulter had six rebounds and five assists.

Green

The Hawks defeated Green County 65-54 Friday.

Ford scored 25 points, 15 coming from the free throw line.

Key-Close added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Coulter chipped in with nine points and four rebounds. Sheffer had six points and three rebounds.

Howell scored four. Wiseman scored two and had three steals. Harman had two points and five rebounds.