RIPLEY — The Fayetteville-Perry Rockets escaped “The Nest” in Ripley with a 51-46 victory over the home standing Blue Jays during Tuesday’s round of Southern Hills Athletic Conference boys’ hoop action.
The Rockets trailed early on as the Blue Jays held a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Fayetteville rallied in the second period of play to climb to a 24-23 lead with a bucket by Blake Coffman just before halftime break.
The Rockets never trailed in the second half, expanding their lead to as much as 11 points, 45-34, in the fourth quarter.
The Blue Jays battled back late in the fourth frame, trimming the Fayetteville lead to 47-43 as the clock closed in on the two-minute mark. But it was the visiting Rockets forcing some late-game turnovers and sinking some last minute free throws to hold on for the Southern Hills Athletic Conference win on the road.
Leading all scorers was Ripley’s senior guard Nigel Royal with 17 points.
Ripley’s T.K. Whaley also shot for double figures in scoring, ending the night with 10 points.
Guards Williams Cornett and Christopher Murphy combined for 25 points to lead the way in the win for the Rockets. Cornett finished with 13 points and Murphy with 12 points.
The Blue Jays are hoping to end their drought as they face the Hillsboro Indians in the Dave Young Classic at North Adams High School on Saturday.
ROCKETS 51, BLUE JAYS 46
FAYETTEVILLE-PERRY—12-12-17-10—51
RIPLEY—15-8-11-12—46
Scoring
Fayetteville (51): Cornett 13, Murphy 12, Coffman 9, Wiederhold 8, Bradshaw 7, Malone 2
Ripley (46): Royal 17, Whaley 10, Germann 8, P. Fyffe 8, G. Fyffe 1, Heflin 2
Game Stats
Free Throws: Fayetteville 6/17, Ripley 7/11
3-Pointers Made: Fayetteville 5, Ripley 3
Records: Fayetteville-Perry (5-8, 3-4), Ripley (5-8, 3-4)
