WESTWOOD Randy Anderson made a wholesale line change in the middle of a Boyd County run midway through the first quarter Tuesday night in a 64th District tilt at Fairview.
Observers could scarcely tell the difference of when and where the starters left the game and the second platoon entered. The Lions stormed out to a 14-0 run and led 21-4 when Anderson turned to his bench. The end result: an 83-42 shellacking of Fairview at George Cooke Memorial Gymnasium.
“I just felt like that first bunch tonight just came out and set the tone,” Anderson said. “Everybody was focused and in all honesty, I can turn around and feel confident in any of those 12 guys going in because they do what we ask them to do and play with effort and passion.”
Boyd County outrebounded Fairview 26-20 and snagged 14 offensive boards while forcing 23 Eagles turnovers on 13 steals.
“We just know that if we are going to have any chance at the end of (the season), we are going to have to be very good on the defensive end,” Anderson said. “That’s been our focus here the last two weeks and I think we are getting a little bit better. When our defense is good, our offense is good and defense is one of our best offenses.”
Boyd County netted 20 or more points in all but one frame and had four players finish in double figures, led by Clay Robertson’s 19 off the bench. Griffin Taylor added 14 off the bench, with 12 falling in the first half. Rheyce Deboard and Jacob Spurlock had 11 each.
“This is a very skilled team,” Anderson said. “Whether it’s our older guys or our younger guys, each and every night it could be someone different leading us in scoring. My whole thing is, if you are going to get on the floor, really get after it on the defensive end, and I really felt like we did that tonight.”
Fairview coach Roger Newton echoed Anderson’s take.
“Their defense was really good early and we weren’t ready for it,” Newton said. “We didn’t handle their physicality and we got pushed around. We didn’t do anything like we had planned and (Boyd County) just knocked us around and won the physical battle early and the game was over early.”
Taylor pushed the Boyd County lead to 33-8 early in the second quarter and the Lions led 51-22 at the half.
Fairview outscored Boyd County 14-7 in the third and pulled to within 21 after a Steven Day triple found the mark inside of a minute to play in the frame that looked to provide Fairview with a boost for a run down the stretch.
“I thought we did better in the second half, especially in the third quarter,” Newton said. “But it was almost like we eased up. We got it down to 21 and felt like we had a little momentum. (Anderson) subbed both groups and I thought we played both really well in that third quarter. Then it was like in the fourth quarter we let off the gas pedal and felt like we were good with what we had accomplished in the third quarter and we can’t do that.”
Jaxon Manning led the Eagles with 11 points and six rebounds. Day kicked in nine points.
BOYD CO. 27 24 7 25 — 83
FAIRVIEW 4 18 14 6 — 42
Boyd County (83) — Hicks 3, G. Taylor 14, Ellis 2, Robertson 19, Newsome 9, Deboard 11, Vanover 4, Holbrook 2, Spurlock 11, Jackson 5, A. Taylor 1, Coleman 2. 3-Pt. FG: 6 (Robertson 2, Hicks, Deboard, Spurlock, Jackson). FT: 13-16. Fouls: 16. Turnovers: 9.
Fairview (42) — J. Harper 4, Johnson 4, Muncy 2, Manning 11, Terry, Caldwell 6, Day 23, C. Harper 3, Mitchell 3, Smith, Mervilus. 3-Pt. FG: 3 (Johnson, Manning, Day). FT: 9-21. Fouls: 17. Turnovers: 23.
