Lexington moves to 20-0 with win over region foe Dutch Fork

The streak continues but to the fifth-ranked Lexington Wildcats boys basketball team, it’s the region record that matters most.

Mason Carver, Jonathan Corley and Bradley Folks combined to score 45 points in leading Lexington to a 60-55 victory over Dutch Fork in a Region 5-5A contest Tuesday night. That improves the Wildcats to a school-best 20-0 record to begin the season but more importantly 2-0 in the region with just six games remaining in the regular season.

“It means we’re 2-0. I’ve never played in a region where you have eight region games, and they’re incredibly precious,” veteran coach Bailey Harris said. “The rest is irrelevant and we’re 2-0. That’s the way we have to approach it. I’ve seen everybody play and there’s not a soft spot.”

Corley, who was instrumental in keeping Lexington ahead in the fourth quarter when the Silver Foxes trimmed a 12-point deficit to two, had the same sentiments as his head coach.

“(The overall record) means a lot to us, but it also means we’re 2-0 in the region and that’s what matters the most to us right now,” Corley said.

Carver, the team’s leading scorer at just over 19 points a game, finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Corley added 15 and Foulks chipped in with 14 points and six assists.

Dutch Fork did a decent job of keeping the ball our of Carver’s hands but Foulks and Corley more than made up for it.

“He usually has it more than he did tonight, but I thought Bradley, Ryan Green and Corley did such a good job,” Harris said. “They didn’t force things and if they gave us something else, they took it. We ended up being efficient. Everybody chipped in.”

It looked as it would be nip-and-tuck from the outset until Lexington used an explosive second quarter to build a cushion. There were six lead changes and three ties in the first quarter, but the Wildcats took the lead for good on a 3-point play by Ryan Green that gave them a 19-17 lead after one quarter.

Green then started a 15-7 spurt that helped build a 36-28 lead at the half.

The Silver Foxes (10-6, 1-2) got within four points in the third quarter but the trio of Carver, Corley and Foulks combined for eight straight points to push the lead back to 12 points.

But Dutch Fork had one final run. Jarvis McClurkin, who scored 17 points, brought the Silver Foxes within 50-48 with 4:19 remaining. Corley responded with two quick baskets as the Wildcats used a 10-4 run to put it away.

“My teammates set good screens and I got open and it all worked out for the best,” Corley said. “It’s not going to roll like this every night, so we have to stay tough. It was good to have a tough one tonight and come out with a win.”

The girls game was just as close with Dutch Fork rallying for a 53-50 victory.

Lexington (13-4, 1-1) led late but Wareanna Butler’s layup with 36 seconds remaining put the Silver Foxes (9-5, 3-0) ahead 51-50. Katrice Jackson, who had a game-high 20 points, added two free throws with 11 seconds remaining for the final margin.

Olivia Thompson scored 14 points for Lexington.

Boys

Lexington 60, Dutch Fork 55

DF – Jarvis McClurkin 17, Knight 8, Green 7, Johnson 6, Brown 6, Raymond 5, Danley 4, Gilliard 2. L – Mason Carver 16, Jonathan Corley 15, Bradley Foulks 14, Green 8, Long 4, Edwards 3.

Girls Basketball

Dutch Fork 53, Lexington 50

DF – Katrice Jackson 20, Kennedy Williams 10, Talaysia Barnwell 10, Butler 7, Robertson 3, Jones 3. L – Olivia Thompson 14, Brooke Foulks 10, Sexton 8, Monroe 6, Kumiyama 6, Nichols 3, Tarlton 3.