PHOTO | Boothe Davis : Capture by the Moment Photography
Class AAA number three Logan remained unbeaten, defeating Class AAAA number ten Capital 72-64 Friday afternoon at Willie Akers Arena.
Junior guards Garrett Williamson and Scotty Browning combined to score 43 points as Logan improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 2018-19 squad started 15-1.
That team went 20-5 but lost to Poca in the Class AA Region 4 co-finals falling one game short of a state tournament berth.
Williamson scored 24 points while Browning added 19 points and senior Jackson Tackett had 12 to lead three Wildcats in double figures as Logan solidified its claim for the top spot in the Class AAA media poll.
Logan, who has been ranked atop the coaches for the previous two weeks after defeating then Class AAA number one Shady Spring 57-49 in the King Coal Classic on December eighteenth, could move to the top spot in the Class AAA media poll when its released Monday.
Logan trailed by one, 32-31, at the half but started the third quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 39-32 lead. The Wildcats advantage would grow to 11 points, 45-34, before Capital closed on a 7-1 run to trim the deficit to 46-41 after three quarters.
The Cougars got within two points on three occasions in the fourth quarter, the last being 53-51 before the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run for a 61-51 lead.
Capital would get no closer than six points the rest of the way as the Wildcats were able to close the game out from the foul line.
Williamson was 12-of-15 from the line including 7-of-8 in the fourth quarter. For the game Logan was 17-of-26 from the charity stripe.
Elijah Poore scored 20 of his game high 27 points in the second and fourth quarters for the Cougars. Sha’lik Hampton added 12, Markel Booker eight, Kcion Welch six, Taeshawn Hines four, Garrett Stuck five and Jaquez Loveless two for the Capital, who falls to 3-2 with the defeat.
The first half was a back-and-forth tussle that featured seven ties and nine lead changes. Neither team had a lead larger than four points in the first half. The Wildcats led 21-18 after one quarter of play before Capital outscored the Wildcats 14-10 in the second frame for a 32-31 halftime advantage.
The tenth, and final, lead change occurred in the third quarter when Browning scored to give Logan a 33-32 lead.
Browning scored 17 of his 19 points in the second and third quarters while Williamson scored 14 of his team high 24 points in the first half. Tackett, who fought foul trouble before eventually fouling out in the fourth quarter, scored eight of his 12 points in the first quarter for Logan who also got 8 points from Aiden Slack, 7 from Jaxon Cogar and 2 from Chance Maynard.
Both schools will return to action Tuesday evening as Capital hosts Hurricane and Logan welcomes Wayne.