ST. LEON - Rushville Lions' boys basketball played in the East Central Tournament last week and earned their second win of the season in the opening game, facing off with the Holmes Bulldogs of Covington, Kentucky. A 63-58 victory for RCHS placed them into the championship with East Central, whom the Lions will face again this Friday. The Trojans earned the victory in the tournament final with a 52-37 win, giving the Lions their seventh loss of the season and ending their two-game win streak.
The Lions played a great game last Wednesday vs. Holmes. The young Lions' team gave up an early lead to the Bulldogs after starting the afternoon 0-of-3 shooting. Holmes hit back-to-back shots to begin the contest before Jerron Taylor hit a three-pointer to put the Lions on the scoreboard. Five more points from the Bulldogs had RCHS down 9-3 after just three minutes of play. Quentin Cain and Dylan Thompson each scored to cut the lead to two; two free throws from Holmes put them back up by two possessions. The Lions stepped up on defense, shutting down the lane and making the most of several fast break opportunities. The Lions started hitting open shots, going five for their next seven and finishing the first quarter on a 12-0 run. 
With a 19-11 lead, the Lions got two points on a Drew McKee putback to start the second quarter. Holmes ended the Rushville run, putting in five unanswered points. Kameron Morton got the Lions' scoreboard to 23 points and a five-point lead before Holmes had another run. This run was only good for four points and with the Lions going cold missing five shots in row, they still maintained a one-point lead. Taylor finished the quarter on fire, adding six points and giving the Lions a 29-22 lead at the half.
The third period was a scoring frenzy for both squads, with Cam Jackman leading the way for Rushville with seven points. Rushville put up 20 in the third period and Holmes added 16 to their total. In the fourth quarter, Rushville got a quick basket from Jack Laker giving them a 51-40 lead. The rest of the Lions' points came from the charity stripe, where they went an impressive 12-of-14 from the line in the final frame. With :20 to go in the game, Holmes pulled within two possessions, but a Taylor free throw sealed the win for RCHS.
Scoring Summary
1 2 3 4 F
RCHS 19 10 20 14 63