LOG MOUNTAIN — Using a physical half-court defense the Bell County Bobcats kept the Middlesboro Yellow Jackets from ever finding an offensive rhythm Saturday night and pulled away for a 63-46 win in their district opener.

If Bobcat coach Lewis Morris is right, his team could emerge as a serious challenger not only for a district crown but in the 13th Region as well.

Bell jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed in the game. Every time the Jackets would close to within five points or so the Bobcats made a run to stretch their lead back to double digits. They opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run to go up 25-10 and Middlesboro never pulled closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Still, after the game Morris sounded more like the coach of a team that lost because he didn’t feel the Bobcats played up to their full potential.

“We played a really good team in Henderson County last week and really played well — I had five kids on the floor the whole time that were working hard defensively and getting after it,” Morris said. “(Saturday) it was one or two here and one or two there. We just looked lethargic at times and didn’t execute really well on offense.”

Junior point guard Ben Madon helped set the tone early on for Bell as he scored five points in the first quarter and seemed to be able to drive to the basket almost at will.

“We had good drives to the basket a lot of times, but if you don’t finish it makes it hard on your defense,” Morris said. “We’ve got to be able to run an aggressive offense and execute out of it.

“It’s alright to go one-on-one to the basket if they finish it, but if they’re not finishing it gets everybody else stagnant.”

When Madon wasn’t finishing, more often than not senior forward Keith Lowe was their to clean up. He scored a team-high 16 points, most after pulling down offensive rebounds and Madon finished with 15.

“Ben’s a tough guard for people and a good athlete. He’s just got to get his mind set that he’s going to work hard all the time and that he’s going to be the best player on the floor,” Morris added.

With the Bobcats clogging up the lane on the defensive end, senior Brandon Lewis finally got the Jackets on the board with a 3-pointer. He would add a free throw and senior Blaine Green also scored four points as Middlesboro trimmed the Bell lead to 13-8 by the end of the first.

Tanner Lefevers came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer, Madon scored five points and Lowe four as the Bobcats opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run to go up 25-10.

Green scored seven straight points to get the Jackets back in the game, but Lowe’s hook shot from three feet out ended the run and put the Bobcats back in control.

“Keith Lowe’s a battler. He may make a few mistakes but he’s going to give you 100 percent every night,” Morris said. “He’s an asset to our team and he’s a really good kid to coach.”

By halftime Bell led it 33-21.

Middlesboro senior forward Levon Poindexter scored the first five points of the third quarter as the Jackets closed to within 33-26. But with the Bobcat defense concentrating on shutting down Green and senior pivot Chad Cowan, MHS couldn’t knock down open 3s when they had the chance.

John Dudley Hilton and Justin Patterson knocked down jumpers, Lowe scored on a put-back and Madon drove in for a basket as Bell pushed their lead back to 41-28 by the 2:37 mark of the third quarter.

Jacket freshman Michael Wilson hit a 3 and Green converted a 3-point play to keep Middlesboro within striking distance. Going into the fourth Bell led 45-34.

Lowe added six points in the fourth quarter, Matt Raines came off the Bobcat bench for four and Bell gradually pulled away to win by 17.

Green fought through the Bobcats tough defense for 22 hard-earned points to lead the Jackets while Poindexter finished with seven and Lewis six.

“Blaine Green is a strong kid and we just kind of let him drive in there on us too much,” Morris said. “We were reaching instead of stepping in front of him and cutting him off.

Madon and Lowe were the only Bobcats in double figures while Hilton finished with eight points and Lefevers, Kyle Lee and Patterson added six each.

“The kids are working hard, we’ve just got a long way to go,” Morris said. “We’ve went through some trials and tribulations so far, but the kids we’ve got now are going to be a good group to work with. I’m proud of them for their effort and their attitudes.”

Bell County (5-6, 1-0 in district play) hosts Harlan County Thursday at 7:30 p.m. while Middlesboro (3-9, 1-2) hosts defending 13th Region champion Corbin tonight at 7:30 p.m.

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Middlesboro 8 13 13 12 — 46

Bell County 13 20 12 18 — 63

MIDDLESBORO (46): Blaine Green 22, Levon Poindexter 7, Brandon Lewis 6, Michael Wilson 5, Chad Cowan 4, Josh Lewis 2, Austin Baker 0, Timmy Helton 0, Logan Miracle 0, Zach Riddle 0, Cameron Rancher 0.

BELL COUNTY (63): Keith Lowe 16, Ben Madon 15, John Dudley Hilton 8, Justin Patterson 6, Tanner Lefevers 6, Kyle Lee 6, Matt Raines 4, Joe Collett 2, Rick Pletcher 0, Corey Oslonian 0.