BASKETBALL: Warriors pass test at Herrin
The Warriors were tested early, trailing with two minutes to go in the opening half, but pulled away from there to thump Herrin 55-37 on the road Monday night.
Only three players scored in the game for Du Quoin, but each of them recorded at least 16 points. DMS's length gave the Tigers problems all night, altering several shots at the defensive end.
"We stress ball pressure," said Du Quoin head coach Aaron Wright, "and with our length, I don't care if we block shots - I want to alter shots, and I thought they did a good job of that. I thought Braeden Pursell did a tremendous job on Jackson Connor tonight. He played him in front, we doubled down on him, and he looked like he was a little out of place. Our length did a great job."
The three-point shot kept the Warriors close in the early-going, as their first three buckets all came from long range. Two of those came from Kadin Mays, who finished the game with 16 points and 4 triples.
"Kadin is our little engine that could, he runs us," Wright said. "When he's playing well he's got a killer instinct."
Pursell's second three of the night gave DMS an 18-14 lead, but the Tigers fought back with six points in a row. It was 22-19 Herrin after an inside hoop by center Jackson Conner with 3:26 to play in the second quarter.
The Warriors cranked it up after that, however, with Lomontay Daughtery jumpstarting a 10-0 run for Du Quoin with a steal and a layup at the two-minute mark. He took a rebound coast-to-coast moments later for another bucket, then recorded a steal before setting up Pursell for a baseline jumper.
"We moved (Daughtery) from the top on offense to the block and I think that's what really got him going," Wright said. "He got some easy buckets and got a little confident."
Mays buried his third trey of the game before the break to give DMS a 29-22 lead after fourteen minutes.
Herrin would creep to within six at 34-28 after the break, but a 9-0 DMS run send the momentum back the Warriors' way for good.
Daughtery led the way with 22 points, Pursell finished with 17. Connor had 21 points for Herrin.
Du Quoin (5-0) hosts Chester on Wednesday night.