BY MIKE HUTSELL
HENRYVILLE — Charlestown boys’ basketball coach Sean Smith said he had to bring junior Anthony Lloyd off the bench on Tuesday night because the swingman had missed practice time due to an illness.
It turned out, though, that Lloyd would be the one leaving the host Hornets feeling ill.
Lloyd’s basket with 11.1 seconds remaining helped seal Charlestown’s seemingly constant climb from a first-quarter deficit, lifting the Pirates to a 44-42 victory over Henryville at Furnish Gymnasium.
“He wasn’t available a whole lot tonight,” said Smith after the victory. “When he was in there, he gave it every last bit he had and he made a great play when we needed it most.”
Charlestown (3-1) trailed 17-5 after one quarter and faced a five-point, fourth-quarter deficit, but rallied to post its third win in four games this season.
“We’re finishing games that last year we would not have been able to find a way to win,” Smith said. “These guys don’t get anxious when they face a deficit. They don’t get down. They’re about the exact opposite of me, so maybe we balance each other out that way.”
Lloyd was Charlestown’s lone player in double figures, scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 field goals.
Early on, it looked as if the Hornets might be on the way to an easy win. The Hornets (2-4) led 17-5 behind an early scoring barrage by senior Steven Mayfield. The senior hit four 3s in the opening eight minutes, while the Hornet defense held the Pirates to two field goals in the first quarter.
Mayfield wound up with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, but the rest of the Henryville lineup combined for just four field goals.
“We don’t hit shots, we don’t win — it’s as simple as that,” said Hornet coach Perry Hunter. “I liked some of the things I saw defensively and Steven created opportunities to score. But we’re not all taking responsibility of the things it takes for us to win right now.”
Both teams will be back in action on Friday. The Hornets will travel to Austin and Charlestown will host Clarksville at Dunn Arena.
CHARLESTOWN 5 18 7 12—42
HENRYVILLE 17 10 8 9—44
Charlestown (3-1) — Poteet 3, Hayes 11, Wilson 8, Coyne 4, Williams 2, Lloyd 12, Daniel 2, Hall 2.
Henryville (2-4) — Mayfield 21, Stone 3, Carlson 7, Weeks 5, Wolf 6, Robertson 0, Boyd 0, Everage 0.
3-point field goals — Charlestown 1 (Hayes); Henryville 7 (Mayfield 5, Weeks, Stone).
Rebounds — Charlestown 29 (Lloyd 7); Henryville 21 (Wolf 6).
Turnovers — Charlestown 16, Henryville 15.
