12/22/2025
BY JACK BULLOCK
JUNCTION – In his post-game interview following his team's win on Monday night, head coach Matt Lawyer said the often used phrase when it comes to organized sports.

“It's better to win ugly than to lose pretty.”

That is exactly how things played out during his Gallatin County Hawks 53-51 victory over Galatia at home in a key Greater Egyptian Conference battle.

The Hawk nearly coughed up a double-digit lead in the final minutes and needed a pair of free throws with :02.0 left by junior guard Jaxon Carney to secure the important victory for the first place squad.

His two tosses made it 53-48.

A 3-point prayer of a shot by Galatia's Isiah Plumlee at the horn cut the final margin down to a two-point triumph.

Carney and Plumlee were the top scorers for each of their respective teams with 19-points each.

Gallatin County improved it's overall record to 7-5 but, more importantly, 4-0 in the GEC.

The statistics weren't any prettier than the contest itself but there was one stat that proved to be one of the deciding factors.

The Hawk out rebounded Galatia 39-21 and only allowed three offensive rebounds for the Bearcats.

This helped offset Gallatin County's turnover problem as they lost the ball 22-times, which turned out to be the same number as Galatia as the teams committed 44 total.

Besides Carney, Gallatin County got 13-points from junior Talon Smith and eight-points from senior Jordan Montgomery.

Sophomore Aiden Combs and sophomore Casen Steele added five and four while Page added one basket for two-points.

Four different Galatia players for head coach Zack Essex scored eight-points.

Senior Will Puckett, sophomore Kam Wood, junior Colin Jenkins and senior Gavin Horton gave the Bearcats a balanced attack that came up just short.

After a streaky first half with the Hawks leading by as many as nine-points, Galatia rallied for a 22-21 halftime lead.

A pair of rebound baskets by Montgomery, one to close out the first quarter and the other to begin the second frame, made it 18-9 Gallatin County.

Baskets by Puckett and Wood in the second quarter cut into the lead and a fast break score by Puckett and a free throw by Jenkins gave the Bearcats a one-point lead at the intermission.

“Hat's off to Galatia. They came in and played really well tonight,” said Coach Lawler. “They hit some shots and played good defense. We didn't play our best tonight but we can't use the excuse that we're a young team. I told them you're 12-games in now. You're varsity basketball players but you figured out a way to win.”

The Hawks best scoring burst of the game proved to be too much for Galatia to get over.

Trailing 33-31 with 3:09 left in the third, Gallatin County scored the next 14-points.

Carney scored twice in the early part of the run on inbound pass and drive to the basket along with a steal and fast break lay in.

(CONTINUED)

His bank shot pushed the score to 45-33 with 6:02 remaining.

“We went to a full-court man-to-man press in the third quarter and that is what worked for us in the second half and especially in the third quarter,” said Coach Lawler. “It was the difference maker in the game.”

The Hawks forced 10 of Galatia's turnovers in the third quarter and were in charge until the Bearcats turned it on defensively to close out the contest.

Gallatin County also had the turnover bug as they also committed double-digit turnovers in the final eight minutes.

The 10 miscues in the fourth allowed Galatia back in the game.

Plumlee hit a 3-pointer to begin the comeback and he added two other baskets on drives in the lane.

Puckett added another score off of a steal and suddenly the Bearcats were within four at 47-43.

A basket by Combs and two free throws by Carney stopped the Galatia run.

But five-straight points from Plumlee on a score in the paint and 3-of-4 free throws got the Bearcats to within three at 51-48 with just :03.4.

Forced to foul, Galatia sent Carney to the line and the junior guard calmly delivered the money with two straight made charities.

Plumlee took the subsequent inbounds pass, turned and threw the ball one-handed like a baseball toss.

The ball banked off of the glass and in as the horn sounded.

The Hawks were slightly better shooting the ball, hitting 21-of-56 from the floor, 2-of-11 from the 3-point line.

Galatia ended up 18-of-43, 4-of-11 from the arc.

Gallatin County heads to the Eldorado Holiday Tournament with a game Friday against Hamilton County at 1:45 pm.

Galatia will take the next week and a half off before resuming play on January 2 against Paducah (KY.) CCA at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg.

“That's what I told the kids. It was not pretty but you won and that is all that matters. You have kept yourself undefeated (in the conference) and you gave yourself a chance to have a top-seed in the GEC tournament and maybe even a top-seed in the postseason,” said Coach Lawler. "We need to play better on Friday against Hamilton County or our next game will be Saturday morning (consolation bracket.)."