The Licking Wildcats played the Alton Comets on the afternoon of February 20, 2024.
This is the Class 3 District 10 game at Houston.
The first score of the game is made by the Alton Comets. Right off the bat, the two teams are already pretty even with their abilities and their want to win. They start fighting to see who will take the first lead of the night. The Licking Wildcats and The Alton Comets stay even in their scores for the majority of the first half, their scores at a tie at 9 for a minute, before the Comets pull head again taking the first real lead of the game of 6 points. With the teams confident of the Comets leads, everyone was taken by surprise when just before the first quarter end, the Licking Wildcats hit two 3 pointers, bringing the score to a tie of 18 to 18 The first quarter stays at this fast paced, exciting game until the end when the Comets and the Wildcats end it with a tying score of 18 to 18.
The 2nd quarter starts with an accidental turnover of the basketball to the wrong team. The Wildcats make a free throw during a foul, which brings the Wildcats to a 1 point lead. This leads the Wildcats and the Comets into a tense dance for the next score. The Licking Wildcats lead the game for a while in the second quarter, constantly only 1 point ahead, until Waylan, with the Alton Comets, makes a fantastic 3 pointer. This shot brings the Comets back into the lead at 23 to 21. Alton scores one more time ending the first half of the game with a lead of 25 to 21.
Alton starts off with the basketball in the third quarter of the game and they make the first basket of the second half of the game. The Alton Comets keep control of the ball, taking the biggest lead of the night at 8 points, 29 to 21. The Licking Wildcats then turn around and make their first score shortening the Comets lead by 2 points. They then go on a 5 point run bringing the score back to a 1 point ballgame. Cook breaks the Comets lead when he scores his 21st point of the game bringing the Wildcats into a lead at 34 to 32, ending the third quarter of the game.
We start the fourth of this very tight, edge of your seat, game with a basket from the Alton Comets. This leads into a tense game of back and forth for the winning score. One moment the game is controlled by the Licking Wildcats and the next it is controlled by the Alton Comets. According to Gary Lee this is what you would call an ” Old-fashioned Barn Burner”. A very intense situation. The final quarter of the game continues to be the neck to neck fight for the winning score, tying up at 46 points with only 2 minutes left to go of the game. With 27 second left on the clock the Licking Wildcats make a last minute basket bringing their score up to a 3 point lead over the Alton Comets. The Wildcats and the Comets end the intense ballgame with the Licking Wildcats winning with a score of 52 to 48.
The Licking Wildcats will play again on February 22, 2024 against the Liberty Eagles. You can listen live to that game on 96.9 The Fox.
