By Joshua Huff, sports editor
CHELSEA — The Clay-Chalkville boys’ basketball ushered in the 2019 season with a dominant performance against Chelsea on Tuesday behind a barrage of 3-pointers and stifling defense.
Despite falling behind 7-1 to open the contest, the Cougars rallied to take their first lead of the game as the first quarter expired and proceeded to stretch that lead throughout the course of the game in what ultimately became a 58-40 victory.
The Cougars drained 10 3-pointers on the night with eight of those 10 coming from Isiah Daniel (4) and Jake McDaniel (4).
As the shots started to fall for Clay-Chalkville, and its defense locked down a Chelsea post game that had free reign early in the first quarter, the Cougar’s lead began to increase throughout the second quarter. By the midway point of the second, Clay-Chalkville’s lead was 25-13, which quickly became 28-13 after McDaniel hit a 3-pointer with 2:34 left in the first half.
Clay-Chalkville would take a 30-19 lead into halftime.
Chelsea was never able to generate any momentum in the third quarter. Behind Daniel Beachem’s eight points in the quarter, the Cougars pulled further ahead to take a 45-30 lead into the final quarter.
The Cougars cruised to the finish from there on out.
The victory for Clay-Chalkville avenged a Chelsea season sweep during the 2018 season.
Scoring
Daniel Beachem: 17 points
Isiah Daniel: 16 points
Jake McDaniel: 12 points
Cameron Owens: 6 points
JaCarrius Sweeney: 3 points
Kelvin Anderson: 2 points
Donovan Shangase: 2 points