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After the Lady Cards’ scheduled matchup on Monday with Mason County was canceled, one might assume that – as the weather turned for the worst – the boys’ basketball team’s trip to Frankfort for a game against Franklin County might follow suit.

However, it wasn’t to be.

On a cold night, the Cards defeated the Flyers convincingly by an 84-48 score.

“They’ve got some new talent and young kids coming up…we’re excited to have them back on schedule,” said GRC Head Coach Josh Cook in a post-game interview. “[The] defense really started guarding and making it easy…I thought we shared [the ball].”

At first, it looked as though the underdog Flyers (9-11) might be ready to give the Cards (17-4) a more significant challenge than many expected as they raced out to a 5-point lead while GRC had trouble finding the scoreboard in the game’s opening minutes.

Yet it didn’t last.

Beginning with just minutes remaining, the Cards took the lead over Franklin County for good and scored 30 consecutive points to build a 29-point lead near the end of the first half.

Eventually, they would enter the locker room with a 48-20 halftime advantage.

The Cards were primarily able to adjust to the Flyers’ zone defense.

“We’re seeing so many different zones. Zones will limit the one-on-one play…and it challenges guys to make the right play,” Cook said. “It’s making us take the extra pass, or drive the gap at the right time, or find the shooter when he’s open.”

As GRC ran its offense, they also had assistance underneath the basket.

Though Morehead State commit Jerone Morton finished as the team’s leading scorer with 23 points, senior Trent Edwards delivered 12 of his 14 points in the opening half.

“When Trent Edwards is playing like this…’ Wow!’” Cook said. “He’s played phenomenal.”

In addition to Morton and Edwards, eight other Cardinal players found the scoreboard.

Of the starting lineup, Sam Parrish had 15 points while Reshaun Hampton had 12, and Tyleik Maxwell added 7.

Eli Craig delivered five points off the bench, along with a pair from J.P. Gaines, Kamden McAlpin, Braxton Martin, and Chase Pace.

They were the first career varsity points for Pace, a sophomore added to the varsity roster just weeks ago.

“Guys want to play,” Cook said. “When they play together [and] they share it, they’re really good.”

Defensively, the Cards limited the Flyers to under 40% shooting for the evening, including 3 of 13 from three-point range. Dominick Taylor finished as the Flyers’ leading scorer with 13 points.