BY PAUL LUNSFORD

Contributing writer

Middlesboro boys and girls played in the LMU Railsplitter Classic on Dec. 20.

The Yellow Jackets fell to Shelby Valley 60-44 and the Lady Jackets suffered a 43-32 loss to Clay County.

Jerimah Beck, Cayden Grigsby and Trey King each scored 13 points for the Yellow Jackets. Brayden Barnard added five points.

Middlesboro hit 18 of 43 from the field for 42 percent. The Wildcats shot 47 per ent on 22 of 47.

The Jackets outrebounded Shelby Valley 33-28. King grabbed a game-high 11 boards. Grigsby had seven and Trey Kyle pulled down six.

Junior forward Riley Phillips led the 5-3 Wildcats with 20 points and eight rebounds. Ethan Sykes, a sophomore guard, scored 10 and senior center Caleb Lovins grabbed seven boards.

Middlesboro (2-8) also played Claiborne (Tennessee) in the Chain Rock Classic at Pineville.

The tournament will conclude on Friday.

Lady Jackets lose to Clay

Senior forward Mackenzie Sizemore scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds, while junior guard Sidney Jones added 10 points and seven boards as Clay defeated MHS.

Lauryn Sizemore, a freshman guard, and Julia Collins, an eighth-grade guard, each added seven points for the Lady Tigers.

Middlesboro outrebounded Clay County 31-19.

Keevi Betts powered the Lady Jackets with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Addison Larew followed with nine points and seven boards. Halaya Brown scored four, Trinity Derossett added three and Morgan Partin had two.

Clay County shot 34 percent from the field on 19 of 56, while the Lady Jackets hit 11 of 38 for 28 percent.

Middlesboro made eight of 11 free throws. The Lady Tigers we’re just two of six.

Clay County (5-4) participates in the Berea Holiday Classic this week.

Middlesboro (1-6) faces Harlan County on Wednesday (12:45 p.m.), John Hardin on Thursday (12:45 p.m.) and host Pineville on Friday (6 p.m.) in the Chain Rock Classic.

The Lady Jackets will play Harlan in the 13th Region All “A” Classic at Harlan on Jan. 2.