Lions fall in consolation finals at Titans/Rockets Shootout to close strong summer
Published 3:28 pm Monday, July 1, 2024
By Shane Shackleford
Contributing Sports Writer
The Pineville Mountain Lions closed their summer on a high note by advancing to the consolation final of the Titans Shootout before falling to Lexington Christian in the championship game 58-49.
The Lions (15-4) fell down by 15 to LCA before mounting one last rally to make the game a tight one at 55-49 with two minutes left before the 11th Region squad hit a 3 to close the scoring.
Pineville was led by its high scoring duo of senior guards Sawyer Thompson and Ashton Moser with 23 and 20 points, respectively. Zander Garrison added four and Zak Brown scored two.
The Lions fought their way to the finals with wins over Little Miami (Ohio) 55-48 and Nicholas County 62-58.
Thompson had 23 points in the opener over the Cincinnati area school with Cameron Puckett and Moser adding 12 points each. Anderson Gentry scored four, while Brown and Garrison added two.
Against the Blue Jackets, the 10th Region All A favorite, Thompson poured in 28 points with moser adding 14 and Puckett scoring 10 to lead the squad to the final. Garrison and Gentry added four, while Gabriel Kells scored two.
The Lions opened play Friday with two state powers, falling to Warren Central 80-60 and Marshall County 70-57.
Moser led the way with 21 against the Dragons, Thompson had 19, and Puckett scored 16. Gentry and Brown added two.
Against the Marshals, Thompson exploded for 36 points on the strength of seven 3s. Moser added nine, Puckett six, Garrison four and Gentry two.
The Lions closed their summer season on a high note, going 15-4 and heading into the 2025 season rated among the top teams in the 13th Region and the top two in the All “A” Classic.
