When Monday’s game entered halftime, no one could have predicted the outcome. Bell County went to the locker room down by 12 with all signs pointing toward a third consecutive loss against a top tier 13th Region team. That was not the case as the Bobcats came out in the second half firing on all cylinders.

By the midway point of the third, Bell had tied the game. After going down by double digits in the fourth, Bell County went on a 21-6 run in the final four minutes of the game to earn a 72-71 victory.

“There is one thing we haven’t been showing enough of — grit. The second half I thought our 1-2-2 zone really put them in the mix,” said Bell coach Frankie Smith. “I’m very happy for the kids, and I’m happy for our school.

“It was an exciting game to watch, but it was a tougher game to coach. The fans definitely got their money’s worth tonight. We didn’t quit, and that’s a great testament to the kids. (They’re) finally showing their toughness.”

Tyler Partin came up big for the Bobcats during the game. He finished with a team-high 20 points with seven coming in the fourth quarter. In addition to that, he grabbed some key rebounds down the stretch that allowed Bell to stay in the game.

“He played good. He got some great rebounds. He blocked some nice shots. He played good defense. He hit mid-range jumpers,” said Smith about Partin. “He kept balls alive that maybe if he didn’t get them someone else would get them next. He played really really good.”

Trey Brock provided a spark for Bell in the fourth quarter scoring seven of his 12 points in the final frame. Sawyer Brock chipped in 14 points on the night, while Issac Collett added 10 points to the final tally.

Lynn Camp was hot from long range hitting 13 3-pointers during the game. Tanner Boggs finished with a game-high 25 points while hitting 10 shots from the field. Jacob Bundy nailed four 3-pointers on his way to 15 points.

After leading by seven at the end of the first, the Wildcats began pulling away in the second quarter. Lynn Camp outscored the Bobcats 13-8 to take a 34-22 lead into halftime.

Bell County came out on fire in the third quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Sawyer Brock cut the lead to 34-27 and forced the Wildcats to take a timeout.

Boggs scored a basket out of the timeout to increase the lead to nine before the Bobcats went on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 36-36. Partin scored four points during that stretch.

After trading baskets, it was Lynn Camp’s turn to go on a run. The Wildcats strung together 10 straight points with Boggs capping the run with floater that gave the team a 48-38 lead.

Partin got the Bobcats back on track with a put-back that helped spark a 9-3 run at the end of the third. A Partin free throw with 18.1 seconds remaining in the quarter narrowed the deficit to 51-47 heading into the final period.

The Wildcats extended their lead back to 10 after a 3-pointer by Scott Overbay and an old-fashion three-point play by Boggs. The Lynn Camp lead grew to as much as 14 after Boggs hit a pair of free throws with 4:27 remaining to give the Wildcats a 65-51 advantage.

Then the tides started to change. Bell County went on an 11-0 run that was started by consecutive baskets from Trey Brock. Colby Frazier capped the run with a layup to narrow the deficit to 65-62.

Free throw from Max Bard increased the Wildcat lead to five before the Bobcats went on a 9-0 run to claim a 71-67 lead with 24.5 seconds remaining. During that span, Partin scored the basket that tied the game, and Collett nailed a jumper to give Bell County the lead. The run was capped by a pair of free throws from Frazier.

Boggs kept the Wildcats alive with a basket that cut the lead to 71-69. Collett sealed the victory hitting a free throw that gave Bell a 72-69 lead with 13 seconds left.

Lynn Camp got a decent look from long range, but it bounced off the rim. Boggs grabbed the rebound but only had enough time for a layup, which gave the Bobcats the one-point victory.

Up Next

Bell County (11-5) returns to action at 7:30 p.m. on Friday when they host Lee, Virginia.

Lynn Camp (15-2) will begin their quest through the All A State Tournament on Thursday when they take on Beechwood (12-8).

———

Bell County 72, Lynn Camp 71

BELL COUNTY (11-5)

Sawyer Brock 6 1-2 14, Kyle Burnett 1 0-0 2, Tyler Partin 7 4-6 20, Colby Frazier 4 2-6 12, Dawson Atkins 0 0-0 0, Issac Collett 3 2-6 10 Ryan Lambdin 0 2-2 2, Trey Brock 5 0-0 12. Totals: 26 11-22 72.

LYNN CAMP (15-2)

Tanner Boggs 10 3-3 25, Jacob Bundy 5 1-1 15, Max Bard 3 2-2 9, Josh Overbay 2 0-0 6, Matt Disney 1 0-0 2, Jacob Belew 1 2-2 5, Scott Overbay 3 0-0 9. Totals: 25 8-8 71.

Bell County 14 8 25 25 — 72

Lynn Camp 21 13 17 20 — 71

3-point goals: Bell County 7 (Frazier 2, T. Brock 2, Collett 2, S. Brock 1), Lynn Camp 13 (Boggs 2, Bundy 4, Bard 1, Belew 1, J. Overbay 2, S. Overbay 3).

Reach Anthony Cloud at 606-302-9090 or on Twitter @AnthonyCloudMDN