Blue Devils pull one out vs. Mt. Juliet

Lebanon's Blue Devils scored a victory over cross county rival Mt. Juliet Friday, defeating the Golden Bears 67-63 in the Blue Devil Classic at Campbell Brandon Gymnasium/Hester Gibbs Court.
Clutch shooting and free throws in the closing minutes gave Lebanon just enough to pull out the win and move to 6-5 for the season.
"When it was time to step up, the guys stepped up and made some plays," Blue Devil coach Doug Keil said.
Mt. Juliet's Jeremy Dixon pulled up for a jump shot with 2:02 remaining in the final period to tie the game at 60 before Lebanon took control. Connor Burger gave the Blue Devils the lead, connecting on a free throw with 1:14 on the clock before Ken Walton added two more from the foul line with under 40 seconds to go.
"Both teams worked exceptionally hard," Keil noted. "I'm very proud of the effort our guys gave tonight."
At the end of the first quarter the Bears had the edge 18-16. The momentum began to shift a little and Lebanon regained the lead heading into the locker room 32-31.
"We weren't playing with a lot of composure and we made some turnovers," Mt. Juliet coach Troy Allen said after his team fell to 5-4.
The Bears battled back in the third to tie the game at 47.
Walton led all scorers with 22 points for the Blue Devils. Also for Lebanon, O'Keefe McCarver tossed in 18 points, Terrence Logue put in nine, Burger added seven, Michael Edwards four, Hershal McCathern three and Alex Johnson and Xavier Smith two apiece.
For Mt. Juliet, Dixon fired in 19 points, Cory Payne 15, Antwan Majors put in 11, Ryan Overstreet added six and Demond Craig, Robert Hill and Berek Lunn each had four.
Both teams will be in action Saturday in the Classic. Mt. Juliet will take on Oakland at 5:30 p.m. and Lebanon will meet Franklin County at 8:30.
Staff Writer Kimberly Jordan can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 16 or by email at kimberly.jordan@lebanondemocrat.com.