Lions Try To Defend Home Court, Seek Payback Against Massac County Tonight
- Dave McKenzie
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
Carterville hit the road for the last time in regular season play on February 10 and put together a strong, workmanlike win over the Harrisburg Bulldogs, 56-43. It wasn’t flashy. It was effective. The Lions set the tone with defense and never let Harrisburg get comfortable.
The biggest number from that night was 43. That’s the points Carterville allowed. When the Lions defend like that, everything else gets easier—rebounding gets cleaner, transition chances show up, and the offense doesn’t have to be perfect to win.
That defensive identity has fueled a really solid stretch of basketball. Carterville has stacked wins lately, including victories over West Frankfort (59-32), Anna-Jonesboro (58-41), Chester (52-41), and now Harrisburg (56-43). The Lions have made a habit of putting teams in a points squeeze and then tightening the lid late.
Season-long, the numbers back it up. Through 28 games, Carterville is scoring 63.2 points per game while allowing 49.3—a +13.9 margin that travels well and plays even better at home. Offensively, the Lions shoot 47.7% from the field, hit 31.1% from three, and average 7.2 threes made per game. That’s enough punch to pull away when the defense does its job.
Now comes a big one tonight: Massac County visits Carterville with a chance for the Lions to answer the last meeting. On January 9, Massac County won at home 75-69, handing Carterville one of its few losses. That game had pace, pressure, and just enough big shots from the Patriots at the right time.
Massac County enters tonight 11-12 overall and 3-4 in the SIRR Conference – Ohio Division. They’ve shown they can score, and they already proved they can handle Carterville’s style for four quarters. For the Lions, the keys are pretty simple: protect the ball (Carterville averages 11.4 turnovers), finish possessions on the glass (about 29 rebounds per game), and make Massac County work for everything in the half court.
It’s also a big night because it’s at home—and Carterville will want that gym rocking.
Pregame coverage starts at 7:30 PM with me and John Homan on NewsRadio WJPF and on our YouTube livestream.
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