George Rogers Clark uses huge third quarter run to cruise past Johnson Central in state tournament

Johnson Central was threatening to pull off the upset by halftime, but that attempt was cut short out of the locker room.

To close out first-round action at the Boys Basketball Sweet 16 on Thursday night, the No. 5 George Rogers Clark Cardinals (30-4) utilized a 27-9 third-quarter run to take down the No. 21 Johnson Central Golden Eagles (28-6) by a score of 75-60 inside Rupp Arena. GRC moves on to Friday’s quarterfinals, where they’ll take on No. 16 Marshall County in the late game (8:30 p.m. ET).

George Rogers Clark came out of the gates firing, taking a 19-10 lead after the first frame, but allowed Johnson Central to counter going into the intermission, enough to give the Golden Eagles a one-point edge after 16 minutes of action. Then the Cardinals proved exactly why they’re a team that can cut down the nets later this weekend.

GRC shot 60.6 percent from the field in the second half, dominating the glass and getting out in transition on a whim. Overall, the Cardinals won the battle in the paint 50-18 while outrebounding Johnson Central 39-27.

“Basketball is a game of runs, especially here at Rupp Arena,” GRC sophomore Ryder Akins said postgame. “We got the jitters out early. We went on a run, and they went on a run. We just had to respond.”

The Cardinals were paced by a trio of double-digit scorers. Senior Amari Bartelson led the way with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks. Junior Montez Gay also posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Akins chipped in 13 points, six assists, and five rebounds for good measure. GRC set the tone early by owning the battle in the paint, but lost focus defensively in the second quarter, which could easily have cost them down the stretch.

“We had to sit down and guard, and make some decisions,” GRC head coach Josh Cook said of Johnson Central’s second quarter. “Because they were beating us in transition, too. Much job in that second half, being able to get stops and not settle.”

Johnson Central caught fire in that second frame, shooting 8-11 from the field. Sophomore Cooper Blair was doing the heavy-lifting with a perfect 4-4 mark from deep in the opening half. Sophomore Mason McKenzie drilled a triple right before the halftime buzzer to give the Golden Eagles a 31-30 lead at the break.

But after regrouping, GRC hit another gear; the game was effectively over just a couple of minutes into the third period. Johnson Central shot just 31 percent from the floor after halftime.

Blair finished with 15 points on 5-9 shooting for Johnson Central. His teammate, junior Austin Slone, led all scorers with 19 points (15 of those coming after halftime), not to mention his five rebounds and five assists. With no seniors on the Golden Eagles’ roster, it might not be long before a return to Rupp Arena is on the table, but this one belonged to the Cardinals.

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