Basketball Recap: Grady Cox's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Herrin over Meridian

Herrin was the 64-52 winner over Meridian when they last played one another back in January of 2024, but their luck changed this time around. The Herrin Tigers took a 71-67 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Meridian Bobcats. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Tigers came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Bobcats are ranked 200th).

Herrin's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Grady Cox, who almost dropped a double-double on 18 points and nine rebounds. Cox has been hot recently, having posted nine or more boards the last four times he's played. Kyrese Lukens was another key player, going 7 for 16 on his way to 18 points and six rebounds.

Even though they lost, Herrin smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Meridian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Colin Monan, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine assists. The dominant performance gave Monan a new career-high in assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Javionne Ranson, who went 8 of 10 en route to 18 points and three steals.

Tigers

Previous 5 Games

01/24/25 @ Meridian	67-71
01/21/25 vs Sesser-Valier	50-39
01/18/25 vs Massac County	61-49
01/17/25 @ Harrisburg	52-48
01/14/25 @ Pinckneyville	59-73

With the loss, Herrin broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 16-4. As for Meridian, they have been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 16-5 record this season.

Herrin wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 68-59 win against Carterville on the 25th. As for Meridian, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 75-65 victory against Benton on the 25th.