39th annual Superman Classic is underway

Carterville threatened to run away with the Blackcats in the first quarter, but a spirited comeback by Goreville cut the halftime lead to three at 39-36. The second half was wild and wooly as Goreville came all the way back and claimed a 60-54 lead in the final frame.

But Carterville wasn’t done as a beautiful reverse by Peyton Bittle got them rolling. A Lions’ steal and bucket cut the lead to two points and a Caden Hawkins run to the rim tied things up at 60.

Two Goreville trips to the charity line netted them two points in the final 1:50 and a 62-60 lead, but Hawkins tied things up at the 15-second mark with a clutch bucket. The stage was set for a dramatic ending, and Goreville’s Cole Tripp provided it with a drive to the baseline where he ducked in and tossed up a 5-foot floater which went in just before the horn and provided the crowd with a spectacular ending to a great game.

Not to be outdone, No. 6-seeded Graves County and No. 3-seeded Vienna battled to a 31-27 Vienna halftime lead.

Vienna’s Owen Treat was a one-man wrecking crew in the Eagles’ first half, racking up 15 first half points. Graves County came back to tie things at 31 early in the third quarter as Vienna seemed intent on self-destructing and were in the hunt until Tommy Holhubner embarked on a mission.

Holhubner clouded up and rained threes on Graves, giving Vienna a 13-point lead at the 3:00 mark. A Graves’ trey cut the lead to 10 with 2:45 to go, but Holhubner found Treat for a dazzling pass and bucket and a 12-point lead.

Kaden Vaughn delivered the dagger for Vienna with a 3-pointer with under a minute to go, and Vienna claimed a 65-52 win. The win sets up a Friday night, Jan. 20, matchup with Massac County, while Goreville faces the unenviable task of squaring off with Charleston in the Friday opener.

The card on Tuesday, Jan. 17, held no such intrigue for the fans as two huge underdogs, in Fort Campbell and Century, took on No. 1-seeded Charleston and No. 2-seeded Massac County.

In the opener, the Bluejays from the Bootheel took apart the Falcons from Ft. Campbell by a score of 114-48.

In the nightcap, the Patriots romped past Century’s Centurions 78-31.

Century was led by Jhyrine Neal with 10 points and Matt Nale with nine.

Massac featured balanced scoring with four players in double figures. Issac Hosman had 17; Kris Garnett had 16; Brodie Smallman had 13; and Brady Cissell had 10. Nine players for Massac made the scorer’s book.

The second round of the Superman Classic looks like this. In the championship bracket, Charleston will tangle with Goreville in the opener Friday night, Jan. 20, and Massac will tee it up against Vienna’s Eagles. In the consolation bracket, Carterville will meet up with Ft. Campbell in the opener tonight, Thursday, Jan. 19, and Graves County will take on Century in the nightcap.