It was a first half boost that helped lift the Fayetteville-Perry Rockets to a 59-54 victory over the visiting Felicity-Franklin Cardinals in Tuesday’s round of high school boys’ hoop action.
The Rockets got off to a 17-12 lead in the first quarter and went on to outscore the Cardinals 22-14 in the second period to hold a 39-26 lead heading into halftime break.
The Rockets were then able to hold on through a late-game Cardinal rally to pull off a narrow victory on their home court.
The Cardinals outscored the Rockets 17-9 in the fourth quarter as they battled to overcome their first half deficit, but some key free throws down the stretch kept the Fayetteville boys on top in the final minutes.
It was senior forward CJ McCulley racking up 20 points to lead the way in scoring for the Rockets, 15 of his 20 coming in the first half.
Also shooting for double figures in scoring for the Rockets was junior guard Christopher Murphy with 13 points that came from three field goals and seven free throws. Murphy buried four shots from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter to aid in the Rocket win.
The third Rocket to score in double figures in Tuesday’s win was senior guard Bowen Doane, who didn’t start in the non-league contest but came off the bench to contribute with 12 points.
Fayetteville’s sophomore guard William Cornett buried a pair of three-pointers and a shot inside the arc in the first quarter for eight points.
Rocket freshman Levi Wiederhold finished with four points, and rounding out the Rockets’ scoring in the win over the Cardinals was freshman Blake Coffman with two points.
It was McCulley kicking off scoring in the contest, rising for a score in the paint to give the Rockets a 2-0 lead.
Following a score from close range and a bucket on transition, the Cardinals rose to an early 4-2 lead, but their lead was short-lived as Cornett sank a shot inside the arc to knot the score a four apiece.
The Cardinals took a 6-4 lead, but it was Murphy scoring on a drive to tie the game at six.
After falling behind 7-6, the Rockets regained the lead (8-7) as Murphy buried a pair of free throws after being fouled on a shot attempt. But the resilient Cardinals came through with another field goal in the paint to rise to a 9-8 advantage.
It was a three-pointer by Cornett that lifted the Rockets to an 11-9 lead. Then it was McCulley muscling his way up for a score while taking a foul, and sinking the “and one” at the charity stripe to up the Rocket lead to 14-5.
The Rockets held a 17-9 lead after Cornett rifled in his second three-pointer of the night with 1:09 remaining in the first period.
The Cardinals drained a three-pointer to end scoring in the first quarter, and heading into the second period of play it was the Rockets leading by five.
The Cardinals quickly trimmed the Fayetteville lead to 17-15 with an old fashioned three-point play to start the second quarter, but on the other end of the court it was McCulley pulling down an offensive rebound and burying the put-back to expand the Rocket lead to 19-15.
An assist by Doane for a bucket by McCulley lifted the Rockets to a 21-15 lead.
The Rockets led by seven after Coffman came through with a score from close range.
The Rockets held a 25-18 lead in the second quarter after Wiederhold floated in the lane for a field goal.
After holding the Cardinals scoreless in the next trip down the court, Doane got in on the second quarter scoring action by sinking a short jump shot to expand the Fayetteville lead to nine points.
The Cardinals were able to cut the Fayetteville lead to seven, but the Rockets restored a nine point lead as Doane buried a jumper from the right side.
Following a score in the paint by McCulley and a bucket by Doane, the Rockets had upped their lead to 33-22.
A steal then led to a score by Murphy to widen the margin to 13 points.
Led by McCulley’s 10 points in the second quarter, the Rockets headed to the locker room at halftime with a 39-26 lead.
McCulley sank one-of-two attempts from the foul line to kick off scoring in the second half, putting the Rockets up 40-26.
The Rockets rose to a 42-26 lead as Doane grabbed a steal and took it himself for an easy bucket.
The Cardinals struggled with turnovers against an aggressive Fayetteville defense.
It was Doane draining another two-point field goal, followed by a McCulley three-pointer, that boosted the Rockets to a 48-33 lead late in the third period.
Murphy scored on a drive to the hoop to end scoring in the third frame, and heading into the fourth quarter it was Fayetteville leading 50-37.
The Cardinals steadily began to chip away at the Fayetteville lead in the fourth quarter, cutting the what was a 13-point Rocket lead to just four.
Hit free throws by Doane and Murphy in the final two minutes kept the Rockets on top for the victory.
The Rockets were scheduled to be back in action on their home court Jan. 18 as they were scheduled to host the Peebles Indians for a Southern Hills Athletic Conference contest on Winter Homecoming Night at Fayetteville-Perry High School.
FAY 17 22 11 9 – 59
FEL 12 14 11 17 – 54
Fayetteville scoring:
McCulley 20, Murphy 13, Doane 12, Cornett 8, Wiederhold 4, Coffman 2. Three-pointers: Cornett 2, McCulley 1.
