No. 5 GRC outlasts new-look Montgomery County 71-70 in OT thriller

The hype is worth it.

Austin Sears (2028 guard) made his season debut for Montgomery County (10-8) after being ruled eligible by KHSAA on Jan. 27. On Friday night, Sears scored 26 points, with 20 of them after halftime, and willed his team in a second-half comeback through all sorts of adversity, but ultimately fell short to No. 5 George Rogers Clark (16-3), which held on 71-70 in overtime.

“We’re going to be scary,” Sears said about his team’s future.

Montez Gay of GRC scored six points in OT, a three-pointer plus an and-one, ultimately serving as the dagger for the Cards. He finished with 11 total points.

Montez Gay with a 6-pt outburst in OT to clinch the game for #5 GRC vs district rival Montgomery Co! pic.twitter.com/gTMh4csJLR

— SterlingVision (@sterlingvis1) January 31, 2026

The game started back-and-forth with GRC holding an 11-10 lead after the first before pulling away in the second quarter with a 34-25 halftime cushion thanks to some threes and transition buckets from GRC’s Ryder Akins and JaMylyn Johnson, who both finished in double figures at the break.

Sears only had six points in as many minutes in the first half, with MoCo’s Andrew Terry and Tyce Jarvis leading the way with eight and seven points, respectively.

However, the Indians made it a game again with an 11-2 run right out of the gates. The Cards turn the tables, though, as they got to an eight-point lead before a Sears three-pointer beat the third-quarter horn.

GRC led 47-42 going into the fourth.

In the fourth, Akins and Sears trade baskets early in the fourth, and the game remained at a five-point advantage until under two minutes left. A Jarvis and-one plus a Sears steal and layup got the game within one point. Then on the other end, Akins extended the lead to three with two free throws.

On MoCo’s final possession, the one to take the shot was no surprise, with Sears baiting his defender in the air and drawing a shooting foul for three free throws to tie the game.

Swish. Swish. Swish. Tie game at 63.

The final shot was in Akins’ hands, with his pull-up jumper rattling in-and-out of the rim. Overtime we go.

The extra period was the same story, with Sears trading baskets with the Cards. He answered an Akins’ layup with a mid-range shot, and a Gay three with a floater, breaking his defender’s ankles en route to the score. However, Sears would injure his leg on the play and leave the game for a short time.

GRC would take advantage with a Gay and-one, pushing the lead to 71-68.

On MoCo’s final possession, Sears found his brother Chase Sears in the corner, who missed the three. Terry was there to clean up his mess, though, with a second-chance layup with under five seconds. But by then it was too late, as GRC let the clock run out before ending the game, escaping their home court with an electric 71-70 win that could melt the tired snow in Lexington.

GRC’s Akins finished with 22 points, while JaMylyn Johnson added 16 points, two steals, and a block.

Aside from Austin Sears’ 26, Terry and Jarvis added 19 and 15 points each, respectively.

Also, besides Sears’ eligibility status, MoCo dealt with drama since the beginning of the season, when then-head coach Jason Mays resigned due to alleged recruiting violations. Assistant coach Neil Terry was named interim head coach, and Dustin Mays has taken the reins since then.

GRC won 63-57 in their first matchup earlier this year, at Montgomery Co. on Jan. 15., and extended their win streak to 10 with the win on Friday.