Pats defeated 65-51 by Titans
Published 2:32 pm Friday, February 9, 2018
Photos by Nancy Leedy MERCER’S Carter Baughman gets in between Lincoln’s Jaxon Smith (10) and Blake Smith (3) to break up a first-half pass attempt. Blake Smith had a game-high 21 points in the Patriots’ 65-51 loss.
HARRODSBURG — Blake Smith scored a game-high 21 points for Lincoln Tuesday at Mercer County, but it wouldn’t be enough to carry the Patriots to victory as host Mercer County won 65-51.
Trevon Faulkner led a quartet of Mercer players finishing in double digits, scoring a team-high 18 points. Gunnar Gillis followed with 17 points, Kaelin Drakeford contributed 15 points and Carter Baughman had 10 points.
It was a close game in the first quarter, with the two teams trading leads. Chase Phillips scored four of his 18 points for Lincoln (11-16) early in the game as the Patriots took an 8-6 lead. Mercer (20-4) would own the lead at the end of the period, with Faulkner and Ty Divine scoring the last two buckets to put the Titans up 15-10.
Smith nailed a 3-pointer and a field goal early in the second period as Lincoln retook an 18-17 lead. But Baughman drained his own 3-pointer to ignite a 10-2 run to put Mercer up 27-20 at the half.
The Titans never trailed again.
Mercer outscored Lincoln 15-11 in the third quarter and 23-20 in the fourth to secure the win.
Riley Bodner had five points for the Pats, Elijah Frye had four and Darius Napier had three points.
